


Love in the Time of Tropics

by Epicocity



Series: The Ancienverse [13]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 10:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 244,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14134179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epicocity/pseuds/Epicocity
Summary: Ancienverse Book Four. With the world at a seeming peace, Ash embarks on another journey. However, things are not all surf and sand in Alola as a dark menace lurks, bubbling up after years of careful cultivating. Amidst the new adventure lies a conflict more personal than Ash or Serena could anticipate, driving them to their limits and making them question their dreams. Amour.





	1. A Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alola, everyone! And I mean that both as a greeting and as telling you all where we're going in this story…if it weren't obvious enough. That's right! I've returned with the Ancienverse on another adventure! I know, I know. I said that the last story was the finale…and it was…of what is now deemed The Kalos Trilogy. This, however, is the The Alola Trilogy. I'm sure you can guess what happens in it…maybe. Well, whatever, I've written this so even if you're new, you can enjoy it, even if some details will be lost. Anyway, enough with that, I'll tell you all more at the end of the chapter! But for now, please enjoy the first installment!
> 
> Author: Epicocity
> 
> Rating: T for violence (and perhaps innuendo)
> 
> Pairings: Amourshipping, Laserbladeshipping, Maybe others
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Pokémon anime, or Sun and Moon. I own the story I'm presenting here, though.

**Love in the Time of Tropics**

Book One of the Ancienverse Alola Trilogy

Chapter 1

A Beginning

"Stop her! Get her back here!"

Her breath rose in pants as she dashed across the metal surface, her shoes truly not made for running. The air ripped at her lungs and her unbidden tears burned at her eyes. It shouldn't have come to this. Her arms wrapped tighter around her body, feeling the slumping form of the Pokémon in her hands, its strange substance stuck between wanting to remain protected, and wanting to escape.

"Just…just hold on…" she whispered, though it did little good; they were right on her, chasing her down the hallway. "I'll get you out of here. I'll figure this out."

She turned sharply, her skirt catching briefly on the side of a wall, tearing it just slightly. She knew she'd have to sew it up later, but for now she had to focus on running as fast as she possibly could. There was a television mounted on one of the walls leading to a pair of mechanical double doors. They were airing some live report on global news; a ceremony that was taking place far, far away, in a region unfamiliar to her.

She paused for just a moment, looking at the screen with widened eyes at the names that were there. A boy with a Pikachu was on the screen, bowing to receive a fancy medal from an elegant woman who supposedly had the title of Champion. She recognized that name. Had heard it from…somewhere…her mother or one of her visitors perhaps.

"She's down this way! Hurry!"

"No," her voice said sharply and she began to run towards the double doors. She had lingered in front of the screen for far too long, placing herself and the one with her in too much danger. Freeing one of her hands, she reached into the front of her dress and picked out one of the keycards she had taken. Finally reaching the doors, she swiped the card and it opened without issue.

The girl ran inside, tossing the card to the wayside; it was no longer going to help her in her flight. The Pokémon in her hands stirred a little, directing its gaze upward forlornly and with question. She smiled down at it, like it was a small child, wanting to assure it that everything would be okay. It nodded a little before she suddenly tripped, ramming into a railing with her side.

Sunlight streamed into the giant room, surrounded with plants and beauty. Yet, for all of that, there were no sounds of gamboling Pokémon. It was as though they had been scared into submission by her presence. Massaging her bruised arm, the girl stood as her companion leapt away, towards a catwalk.

"No, don't!" she cried, but it wasn't listening. Suddenly, the room became bathed in a red-orange glow, and for a second, she feared that the alarm had gone off, alerting everyone of what she was doing. But upon looking up, she could see that the sun was sinking on the horizon, day giving way to night. More footsteps. The girl moved forward, chasing after her protectorate. It was floating along the catwalk at a surprising speed, like it was determined to make it somewhere as quickly as it could. "Please…hold on…"

"Pew?" it asked, turning towards her once it had stopped in the middle of an area. A loud chittering was heard in her ears, like the sound of many angry Bug types, ready to lash out and strike angrily, offended by the nearby presence. She was more worried by the footsteps steadily approaching.

"What do you want…?"

"Pew! Pew!" it cried, jumping up and down, like it was trying to indicate something.

"The sun?" she asked, looking at the fading red light. It looked desperate. "The moon? I don't understand…"

"PEW!" it said, wearing a smile on its face. She wasn't sure if she understood it, or simply confused it. Either way, it looked like it was calling out for something. She stepped forward to take it in her arms and noticed something odd in the sky: an odd blue light, leading to an endless space, another of the little one in her arms there and her own eyes behind it, perhaps. Once she blinked, it was gone…and she was surrounded.

"Give it up. There's nowhere to run," one of the men chasing her said. She hugged her friend closer as it tried to struggle against her arms, wanting to break free, perhaps, and find whatever it was looking for. "Come on back now, and you might be spared punishment."

"No! I won't!" she screamed, surprised at the defiance in her voice. The man that had spoken stepped forward, a nasty snarl on his face, and she shut her mouth, fearing retribution. The sound of the doors opening in the distance echoed and fear ran through her body. "I can't…I can't let you be hurt, okay?"

"Pew?"

"Take her into custody!" the man finally yelled. The remainder of the guards lunged for her, and the clopping of heeled steps entered her mind, making her freeze. Yet time froze, a bright light eclipsing her as her blonde hair blasted out all around her. She looked down at the little one in her arms, a concentrating look on its face.

Her pursuers were blasted back by the light and she felt her own body compressing, like being squeezed through a tube, wind howling in her hair. She wanted to scream, but found she couldn't. Nor could she see anything.

Yet it only lasted a moment.

Soon, wind was replaced by the surf. Metal replaced with sand. There was no other sound but peace. Her body felt exhausted, unable to move, but she could still touch the little one in her arms. It was safe, and she was…well, she assumed she was very far away. Looking up, she realized it was now night, and the little one in her arms was asleep. Some way up the shore was a house, lights on and filtering through the boarded-up sides. She tried to raise her arms, but couldn't. She tried to raise her voice, but couldn't.

Instead, her mind flashed back to that boy on the TV, the one whose name she'd heard. Perhaps he could help her. Perhaps someone would. Either way, before her head laid on the sand and her exhausted body passed out, she breathed his name in desperation.

"Ash…"

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Ash Ketchum stepped back in shock, Pikachu clinging with his own sense of surprise to his shoulder. Turning his head to his best buddy for a moment, the two shared a single blink between them before turning back towards the sudden, and rather large, crowd that was standing before them in the backyard of Professor Oak's lab. More than that, Ash noticed numerous streamers decorating the usually proud backyard of the lab and a giant banner overhead reading "Happy Birthday, Ash!" in giant red letters. Trampled all over it were numerous hoof marks and his assorted Pokémon's prints.

"Pikachu…are we dreaming?" Ash whispered to his friend. Pikachu shook his head. Taking one step over the grass in front of them, Ash certainly felt that he was. In all his living memory, he could never remember having a party for his  _birthday_  of all things since he'd stepped out on his first journey. Not that he was complaining, considering all of those who had come to attend the party for him, but it still felt entirely surreal.

_Well, the last year has been surreal…_ Ash couldn't help but think to himself. He didn't share the point with anyone, but looking at everyone who managed to somehow cram themselves and all their Pokémon into the backyard of Oak's lab and still have room to mingle, he couldn't help but think that. It was no more evident than because of the girl next to him, hands behind her back as she smiled at him. Ash turned his head, looking at the honey blonde he was happy to call his girlfriend in her poufy pink sundress.

"Serena, what's going on?" he asked instantly. Serena removed one hand from behind her back and touched it to her lips with a slight giggle. "I'm serious…this feels…weird…"

"It's your birthday, Ash," Serena said, moving a little closer to him with a smile and slipping her arm between his. He liked it, but it hardly did anything to quell the confusion in his brain. "So, we all wanted to celebrate it!"

"Yeah, but…I  _never_  celebrate my birthday," Ash told her. She giggled again, and though he wanted some answers about why they were celebrating this  _now_ , he actually found it too adorable to stop. Of course, thinking on this, Ash realized there were a lot of "nevers" that he had experienced in the last year alone, not the least of which was Serena.

A year ago, he certainly would not have said that he would walk away from his latest journey with a girl utterly in love with him…and whose feelings he returned. It may have taken him a while to discover them, but that moment that he did during the assault on Ancien City all those months ago was seared into his mind. Of course, if he was asked now, he'd have no problem saying that he loved Serena almost as much as he loved Pokémon (and that was saying something in his book), but he never would have thought of that a year ago. He never would have thought he'd reach the League Finals, certainly not after his disastrous results in Unova. Never thought he'd battle on par with the Champion or be invited to fight the Elite Four. Never thought he'd be involved in such a mass-scale attack…and not only that: he'd survived  _four_.

Though that final one still left a bad taste in his mouth some days. Turning his eyes over to his mother, standing there with a beaming smile at her son, he decided to return the smile. Perhaps it was unusual to celebrate his birthday, but after everything, it was nice to have time to just relax…even if that and training with his Pokémon had been all that he, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie had been up to for the last six months. Sure, they all had dreams to pursue, but each of them had agreed to a small break to grow together without a Gym battle or a threat looming over their heads. In any case, that was probably the reason why he could catch a glimpse of so many people having flown here from multiple regions to celebrate his…he thought it was his sixteenth birthday…or maybe his seventeenth…he really couldn't be sure. It could have been his eleventh for all he knew. Not that it mattered, at least not as much as the two on his arm did.

"All right," he chuckled out, using a free hand to rub at his nose. "Thanks, Serena. You're the best."

"It wasn't all me, you know," she told him, gripping him just a little closer, as if reassuring him that they were all there for him. It wasn't a dream. "Your mom, Brock, and all the others really helped put this together. And Clemont was no slouch in the whole IRCS department."

"I…I didn't do all that much," Clemont's voice squeaked out from the crowd. Looking over, Ash could barely catch sight of the head of lemon blond hair lost in the crowd. Next to him was Bonnie, who had grown a few inches taller over the last few months and now measured up to Clemont's shoulder…almost. On the other side was Korrina, wearing her basic clothes as she tried to pull up Clemont in order to make him more prominent. It reminded Ash of what a good match they were…

Just as he and Serena were a good match, he felt. There was no doubt that his mother thought so, too, considering that she had practically gushed over the two of them (which was incredibly awkward a couple months back). That, Ash found funny, since they hadn't originally told their parents to avoid the embarrassment and possible rejection, even if Ash had no idea why his mother would possibly reject Serena. She didn't, but the embarrassment was most certainly there.

Feeling like he was being just a little rude, Ash smiled at everyone there, scanning the faces of the crowd, before uttering, "Thanks a lot, everyone! I appreciate it!"

"Thank Serena the most!" Dawn called out next to a table of food where she was watching May with an amused expression. "She was the one who called all of us. I might have forgotten your birthday was coming up. I think May came for the food."

"It's good stuff!" May shot back and Ash got a slight glimpse past her to the absolutely delicious-looking spread of food that his mother, Brock, Clemont, Cilan (to his surprise) and Serena had likely prepared. They were the best chefs he knew. "You have got to try some of this…what do you call it, er, Cilan?"

"Foie gras! It is a delectable dish that I picked up in Kalos when I was journeying there quite recently. The taste is simmering with-"

"It's really good! Clemont helped him perfect it!" Bonnie said, cutting the older man off. Cilan looked a little deflated at having his usual connoisseur tendencies cut off, but managed to keep the air pleasant with a simple smile. Even if the connoisseur wasn't the closest of all his traveling companions, he still appreciated seeing him there. Actually, hearing all of his friends getting along, Ash turned to Serena.

"Well, thanks for this Serena," he said, reaching over and pulling her into a hug. She placed her hands on his chest and nodded on his shoulder. No other words were exchanged between them for that moment until they finally pulled back.

"Well, come on, birthday boy. You have to mingle!" she laughed out, grabbing his hand forward and pulling him into the now occupied crowd. A few more well-wishes for his birthday were given to him as he passed by familiar faces like Tierno and Trevor, the former putting on a slight dancing show for some of the people nearby. Shauna offered Serena a wave but said nothing as she continued to watch the two boys. Soon after that, Ash and Serena ran right into his mother and Professor Oak. Gary appeared to have finished a conversation, offering a light salute before backing away to get some food.

"Well, Ash, quite the turnout, I have to say," Professor Oak chuckled out, glancing around at the party with a drink in his hand.

"I had nothing to do with it, though…" Ash admitted with a laugh, his gaze once more slipping back over to his girlfriend. She was waving lightly at someone that looked to be Mairin, but Ash was paying too much attention to his mother and the professor to confirm it. "Serena's apparently the one who really put all this together, so…"

"Nonsense, Ash," Oak said, taking a sip from his cup. "If you hadn't done so much and met so many people, why, I don't think there'd be much of a party."

"That's my son! Always making friends," Delia said proudly, pulling Ash in for a hug. Serena was dragged in with him and it turned into his mother hugging the both of them proudly, like a boasting and doting parent. "Well, Samuel, aren't they just the most perfect looking couple? Six months, and my boy still has a girlfriend."

"Yes, it is rather nice," Professor Oak said with a slight twinkling in his eyes. Ash attempted to grin at him from underneath his mother's hold, but found his airflow slightly restricted. He knew the professor was thinking fondly of the fact that Ash was dating Serena; when they had come to Kanto just weeks after the Honor of Kalos Ceremony, he had recognized her on sight. That had come as a surprise to him. "That feeling of young love; so fresh, so pure."

"Um…yeah…" Ash said, feeling rather embarrassed about the whole thing, especially when he saw Gary walking past with a smirk, the researcher looking rather smug.

"If only my cousin could see the beauty in such love, but alas, he's a lifelong bachelor," Oak finished with a sigh. Delia finally let go of the two of them and Ash straightened up, looking at Professor Oak with a curious expression.

"You have a cousin?" he asked, certainly not having expected that. Even after all these years, there were constantly new things he was learning about the professor. He wondered if that would also be the case with Serena. Looking at her just briefly, though, he dismissed the notion; they'd spent almost every day together for the last year and a half. He was pretty sure he knew everything about her.

"Mm, yes, though we only speak on holidays. Too busy with our work I sup-ah, Rotom, what are you doing over there?" The conversation having come to a rather abrupt end, Ash watched the professor suddenly make his way over to set of speakers and stereos. The reason was obvious, considering the flying Ghost type that was buzzing around the speakers mischievously. Ash felt his mother's hand on his shoulder and he turned to her.

"Why don't the two of you go mingle? Plenty of time for these things later, right, Ash?" she said to him. Ash just nodded before turning away. He still hadn't told her, but at the same time, with how happy his mother was regarding his relationship with Serena, he felt she didn't need to know about what had truly transpired outside Geosenge. That, and he really didn't know how to find the words to say it. He kept hoping he would, but it never happened. Taking a breath, he turned to his girlfriend.

"Let's go?" Serena smiled and nodded, the two once more plunging back into the crowd. Ash had to admit that Serena had really outdone herself in gathering so many people there. Sure, Professor Oak might have said it was because he knew them all, but Ash knew it wouldn't have been possible without Serena and the way she could make even the hardest of hearts smile for just a second.

"I know you might not have wanted a lot of people or something, so I made sure to not have too many presents. We all kind of pitched in to just…well, you'll see later," Serena jabbered on for a moment. Either she was still embarrassed about what had happened with his mother or she was incredibly excited. Either way, he chose to squeeze her hand to ensure her that he was happy with it anyway when they finally reached one end of the food table and Ash grabbed a plate.

"It's awesome, Serena!" he said. Pikachu leapt from his shoulder and went to grab his own bowl of Pokémon food, smothering it with ketchup. He seemed to stop, though, as Buneary approached him. Leaving the two to their conversation, Ash turned to Serena, who was nodding.

"Well, that's a relief."

"I don't know why you're surprised," said a deeper voice, and both of the teens turned to see Alain there, himself also holding a glass. For a brief moment, he stared at Ash discerningly, but soon turned his lips upward in a smile, looking at Serena. "I'd call this party an unmitigated success by any measure. And as long as it comes from you…"

"He's right, you know," Ash pointed out, taking a sandwich and stuffing it in his mouth. Serena pursed her lips and he swallowed quickly, grinning at her. "You understand me pretty good, Serena, so I doubt you could put together something I wouldn't like."

"All right," his girlfriend said, relaxing her shoulders a little. Finally seeming happy about that, she turned to Alain with a light smile on her lips. "So, Alain, it's been a while. How are you and Mairin doing?"

"Well enough," Alain answered, a soft and graceful smile on his face. Ash was happy to see that; for a boy who beat himself up so much, losing himself to the abyss of strength and rage, now that he had pulled back from it, he really looked happier. Though, it might have had to do with the girl a few feet away, talking with Bonnie animatedly. "We've found a vein of what looks to be Mega Stones just the other day near a volcano in Kalos. Charizard felt antsy around it, so we feel it might…"

"I mean how are you  _and_  Mairin doing?" Serena pressed teasingly. Alain blinked, almost like he didn't understand the question, and for a second, even Ash was lost. Then he remembered how Serena had told him that Mairin held a crush on Alain when they had been on the flight home from Kalos. He didn't believe it then, but sort of wondered if Alain knew it as well.

"Um…that's…Ash, how's your Greninja doing…?" Alain coughed out, changing the topic as quickly as he clearly could. Serena shook her head, but allowed Ash to answer, giving him a slight peck on the cheek before moving off to speak with Shauna. Ash just shrugged.

"He's doing great! Fitting right in with the others…though I know he wants to battle. Truth be told, it's been a while for myself. I haven't stayed at home for this long in a while," Ash answered. Alain nodded, as though the answer was an obvious one.

"I can understand that. Charizard and I haven't been doing much battling ourselves," he said, though he didn't sound the saddest to be saying it. Ash watched him and his eyes sliding over to Mairin. Grinning at his old rival, Ash reached over and slapped him on the back before continuing down the food table. In a way, Alain reminded him of himself back when he had no idea that he had fallen in love with Serena. Not that he'd claim to know everything or most of what love was about. He was still working out some of the basics. That much was obvious when he didn't even know he was supposed to celebrate a thing called Valentine's Day (indeed, he had no idea it existed outside of selling candies).

Shaking his head and forgetting about it, Ash decided to finish loading up his plate. Looking up as he got his food, he was now able to see all of the people congregated there. It was a very wide and eclectic mix of old friends and new. In a corner, near the pond, Ash could see one of his oldest friends, Misty, talking with Iris as they chatted, her Gyarados leaping over their heads. Seeing him watching a moment, Misty turned and waved at him, slightly stoic in expression, quite deep into the conversation. Continuing to scan along there were various others like Korrina and Clemont who were excitedly speaking with the Champion of Kalos, herself, Diantha. He had to admit surprise at that one; he hadn't expected Diantha to attend his birthday party, especially when they hadn't spoken for six months.

Finally finishing with his plate, Ash looked up one more time to see his old rival, Sawyer, talking with none other than the Kalos Queen, Aria. Miette was by his side, the bluenette leaning lazily on his rival's shoulder. Ash thought about approaching them, but soon caught sight of a more interesting group of old friends. Shoving and chewing some of the food in his mouth, he approached the group of four.

"You've been pretty busy, then, it seems?" Brock's deep and resonant voice chortled out. "Though I'm hardly one to talk. Ever since I skipped out on my duties to help out at Geosenge, the Nurse Joys really like shuffling me around."

"You're not actually complaining, though, are you?" May asked with a skeptical expression and a kabob sticking out of her mouth effortlessly. As Ash finished approaching the group of four, he noticed the all-too-familiar giddy expression stretch his best friend's face.

"No, I am not! Since Geosenge, I've been stationed in Kalos, and let me tell you, the Kalos women are exotically beautiful! From Officer Jenny to Aria, I almost feel like the whole Kalos world is my oyster, and I'm gonna take it. Ash knows what I'm talking about!"

"No…no, I don't think I do," Ash chuckled out, not entirely happy with being sucked into this kind of conversation again. "Serena's not exactly just some Kalos girl…"

"That's right, she's Ash's  _soulmate_ ," Dawn teased. Ash glared at her before using one hand to slap her on the shoulder. Dawn laughed at that. It still felt nice to be with old friends, though thinking about an absentee from the party made him huff a sigh for a moment. Once that was gone, he took another bite of food from his plate, watching his Charizard and Alain's arm wrestle for a moment while Hawlucha and Buizel did actual wrestling on the ground. "Teasing aside, it's nice to see her with you. She keeps you out of trouble."

"I keep out of trouble just fine!"

"Tell that to the four world-altering events in the last year," May joked. Each of them shared a laugh at the joke, though neither really found any sense of humor in it. Hoping for a change in the subject, Ash looked at his friends wildly searching for one. Dawn and May had been busy with their Contests, with Dawn having returned to Hoenn to try her luck there. Brock made his intentions plain. But then there was…

"So, why are you going to be busy, Gary?" Ash asked his brunet friend.

"Helping out Champion Steven," Gary said flippantly, like it was no big deal. "Not that I'll be alone; Sawyer also seems to be in his, uh, employ. But after the stuff I figured out during the battle at Geosenge he decided he…" Gary trailed off here, looking at Ash with an almost guilty expression. To that, Ash huffed.

"Come on guys, it's been months. I'm fine." He didn't want to begin insisting that he was fine to begin with other than the lack of words to say to his mother. Dawn broke the tension by laughing lightly and slapping him back on the shoulder.

"Right, no need to worry! Ash has Serena and Clemont and Bonnie, after all!" Dawn cheered out. "Speaking of, I wanted to ask Serena something." Offering a high five to Ash, he clapped his hand against hers and watched Dawn walk off to speak with his girlfriend. It made him grateful to have such loyal friends. May had insinuated more than once that had Serena and the others not returned to Kanto with him, she would have stopped in more often to make sure he was okay. Hearing that, knowing they were all on their journeys, though, made him feel better.

Now, he just needed to figure out  _his_  next step. Actually, they  _all_  needed to figure out their next step. While Meyer had been holding down the fort in Lumiose City with a replacement for Clembot, Clemont had been here, studying all the different lab equipment that Professor Oak used…and occasionally having problems with Rotom, who appeared to have taken a liking to him. Serena, on the other hand, decided to learn how to make even better food from his mother, but there was no doubt in Ash's mind that she wanted to go traveling and performing again, but wasn't sure what to do to further her goal in becoming Kalos Queen. She had confessed there was no way she was ready to defeat Aria yet. Ash felt the same way about the Elite Four. He hadn't even won a League yet!

"In the meantime, I'll go do another daily check on all the Pokémon here," Brock said, breaking Ash's thoughts. Gary and May only uttered words of farewell before turning back to the table for some food. Realizing the conversation with his fellow friends and Ancien Warriors was complete, Ash walked onward, straight for Clemont. His gaze whipped around a few times, hoping to catch sight of his other "Ancien Warrior" comrades, but caught no sight of Seamus and the rest of Team Nova. Thinking back to the changed blond, Ash could only realize that the boy, like usual, was probably incredibly busy with his school.

"Ah, Ash, man of the hour. How have you been?" Diantha's voice said and Ash realized he had gotten close enough to initiate a conversation with the Champion. Ash only offered a nod, unsure of what to say…or, at least, he couldn't put his thoughts to words fast enough before she started speaking again. "Happy Birthday, by the way. Any plans for the upcoming year?"

"Not right now," Ash chuckled out, before taking a little more food. "You must be busy, fighting challengers, right?"

"More than that," Diantha said with a chuckle. "I think I'm busier with League politics these days than battling anyone. President Goodshow officially stepped down a month ago and we've been busier than ever. Then there's…"

"The Champion was just telling me about a new project for the IRCS," Clemont said once Diantha had let her words trail off. Ash nodded, only somewhat understanding what Clemont meant. After all, the Inter-Regional Communications System had only been installed and working for six months, something Clemont had been busy with during his time off. "Since we've almost installed them in all the six major regions that are part of the Pokémon League at the time, we were discussing expanding the project."

"Where to?" Ash asked, finally finishing his plate off and placing it down. He seemed to do so just in time for Pikachu to run back up to him and leap once more to his shoulder. Looking at his best buddy, Ash saw Serena leaving Shauna and Dawn to speak with Aria, while in the background, all of her Pokémon (and some of his, including Bulbasaur and Greninja) were dancing to the odd beat Rotom was putting out.

"The Alola Region," Diantha answered. Ash folded his arms. It sounded familiar, though he couldn't quite place where he'd heard of it before.

"Where's that?" he decided to ask, intrigued while he wracked his brain for the answer, but came up with nothing. Diantha smiled at him a moment, like she was considering something. Before she could tell him any more, Clemont was suddenly off on a tangent.

"It's far to the south. A region filled with islands!" Clemont announced excitedly, digging suddenly into his jumpsuit and whipping out a magazine. Ash had to wonder just where it had come from, considering he'd never seen his inventor friend receive magazines before. The lemon blond quickly shoved it in his face and Ash stepped back to see it was an edition of "Science Monthly", a man with a blond goatee and large green goggles on the front cover. "It's incredible! They've built a floating island there! And this man, Faba, is the one responsible for the technology! What I'd give to meet him for it!"

"But…don't all islands float?" Ash asked, genuinely confused.

"Heh heh heh, au contraire, my friend!" Clemont announced. Ash was pretty sure he noticed a creeped out Conway slinking off somewhere at that while Korrina simultaneously rolled her eyes. "This island is entirely manmade! A paragon of manufactured product created by the one and only Aether Foundation! They've become a huge hit in the scientific world recently and I've been following Faba's research lowkey for some time now…or whenever I could get my hands on a magazine. I wonder his opinion on the IRCS."

"It certainly sounds like it," Diantha said with her own chuckle. Ash could only shake his head and mutter "science is so amazing" under his breath before Diantha continued. "Which is why I was actually going to ask you to go to Alola and install the IRCS there, yourself, Clemont."

"M-me?" Clemont asked, jerked out of his fantasies to blink dumbly at the Champion.

"We've all discussed it as Champions, and I recently contacted your father and he liked the idea. Seemed to think you could season yourself up with a bit more traveling," Diantha explained to him with a wink. Ash saw Clemont's eyes light up happily and he slung an arm around his friend, proud of him. "You're certainly the one who knows the system best, and there's no rush to install it quite yet. Not to mention the League has been in contact with some other engineers in the area and-"

"I'll do it!" Clemont burst out, his excitement permeating his entire body. He was practically shaking underneath Ash, who let go of him. "I'd be more than happy to do it! Going to Alola and meeting all the scientific geniuses there like Faba and Molayne would be such an honor. And to represent the League no less!"

"Glad to hear it," Diantha said, still with that light and airy laugh on her lips. "I'll let the League know your decision when I return tonight."

"That's awesome, Clemont," Ash said with a grin at him, Pikachu also smiling. "Though…it means you'll be leaving for a while…Me and Serena could take care of Bonnie."

"Oh, yeah…" Clemont stated, like he hadn't thought of that. That made him look slightly crestfallen about the whole thing. At least, until Diantha clapped her hands.

"Why not go with him, Ash?" This drew the raven-haired trainer's attention, his chocolate eyes looking up at Diantha. "You haven't decided on your next journey yet, right? Perhaps a new region would be just the thing…and I think you'd find it  _most_  interesting there."

"I would…?"

"Let's just say, there are some very strong trainers in Alola. Ones that even I've struggled with in the past on the very rare chances I've met them," Diantha admitted, adding a little wink at the end. Ash turned to Pikachu, who nodded a little. A minute ago, he may have been wondering what his next step would be, but hearing from Diantha, of all people, about a region that was full of strong trainers and all new Pokémon to discover instantly got his blood pumping like nothing else. It made him excited, especially knowing he could travel with Clemont through another region; excited enough to hop a plane right then and there.

But then he saw Serena talking to Aria and stopped himself. Sure, Serena wasn't the type to get mad, but he doubted she'd be very happy if he took off to a region without telling her.  _I guess I could sleep on it…_ he thought to himself, though from the way Pikachu touched his face, his best buddy knew exactly what he was thinking.

"That sounds really cool, Diantha," Ash decided to finally answer. "Maybe I'll give it a try. And when I'm even stronger from there, I'll come back and challenge you guys!"

"I'll be looking forward to that battle," Diantha admitted, her eyes flashing challengingly. She then seemed to catch sight of something and stepped away. "If you'll excuse me, then. It would appear my time at your party has ended. Happy Birthday, again, Ash. I look forward to hearing about more of your adventures." Clasping his shoulder lightly, Diantha at last retreated from the area, heading to an official looking man in a crisp suit and sunglasses. Ash was surprised that Kathi Lee was nowhere to be seen. At the same time, Clemont was quickly moving away.

"Sorry, Ash, but I've gotta tell Korrina and Bonnie! This is exciting for me!" Clemont said, his body jittering. "Korrina! The future is now thanks to…"

His voice was drowned by Ash's chuckles and the raven-haired trainer instantly began making tracks over to Serena's group, watching the rest of his Pokémon frolicking about, except for one. Greninja had stopped dancing and was staring at him, arms folded, as though he had heard their conversation and was contemplating something. Feeling a slight twinge in his brain, Ash had a very distinct feeling as to what it was, and it brought into sharp relief what traveling to this Alola region could mean. He tried to push it away, however, in favor of joining his girlfriend, Sawyer, Miette and Aria in conversation. At his approach, he noticed Sawyer put some very small distance between himself and Miette, though their hands brushed. He could only raise an eyebrow at that, as did Serena while Aria continued to talk a moment longer.

"Palermo's been thinking of adding things to Showcases in the next year, after this season concludes," Aria was telling the two Performers standing there with her. Serena was watching her raptly, not even noticing that Ash had come up to stand next to her side. "Of course, she has to run it past Monsieur Pierre and the rest of the Showcase Committee, but apparently she's been thinking about this for a while."

"What sort of things?" Serena asked. Miette turned her gaze for a moment before putting her attention back on Aria, wanting the answer for herself.

"A weighted system of some sort," Aria was answering her. Serena finally noticed her boyfriend by her side and offered him a smile. "Apparently, she did some thinking after the Master Class and watching everything that happened at Geosenge and decided that she didn't like seeing what she now calls 'a glorified popularity contest'. So, she spoke with the Committee and they're working on a tentative proposal. Seems they'll be looking into other regions for ideas to implement…"

"Like the Alola region?" Ash piped in. The four standing there with him turned their heads to look at him. Ash locked eyes with Serena and noticed something shimmering behind her blue orbs for a second. "I was just talking about the region with Clemont and Diantha."

"Hmm, I do think Palermo mentioned something to that effect," Aria admitted. On Ash's shoulder, Pikachu's ears perked up a little before he jumped away, no doubt to play with Piplup. "Not aware of the details, but they did say something about some sort of Ceremony in the Alola region. I've never been, myself…of course, I barely had the time to even come to the party, but I managed to convince some less than stellar board executives to let me have some time to stretch my legs."

"You must be keeping busy, then," Sawyer commented, taking his hand away from near Miette's and putting them in his pockets. It was odd for Ash to see him without his notebook, but the boy's sense of confidence was palpable. It inspired further confidence inside of himself.

_Alola, huh?_  Ash thought, unable to get the idea of traveling to a new region outside of his brain. Serena was looking at him with an indiscernible expression, almost like she could tell just what was going through his mind. Shaking his head a little, Ash affixed a grin to his lips and decided to try and stop the thought of another adventure from burgeoning forth. Taking Serena's hand seemed to do the trick, though the expression behind her eyes and her following question made him really wonder if she understood all along.

"So, Miss Palermo is looking into the Alola region's Showcase equivalent?" she asked, squeezing Ash's hand lightly. Aria inclined her head with a light "mmm" but said no more on the subject. Ash had found it slightly weird, but paid little attention to it, especially when his mother seemed to suddenly call them all to attention.

Looking back on it as Ash went through the rest of the party, he could admit that he felt it was all a bit of a blur. There were a lot more people he mingled with, including Tracey and Professor Oak once again, once Rotom went to routinely bother Clemont, and on top of that, Ash made sure to get his hands on as much food as possible. Then there was the large cake that Serena and his mother had baked together, though the former admitted that Dawn helped them. Presents seemed to come soon after, and though Ash didn't expect it, he was surprised with the very practical gifts he had been given. From a new set of camping gear to an invention that Clemont had built which didn't explode, and even down to a joint gift of some delicacies from Nova Town which had come from the town's eponymous team. The simplest gift he had received was a picture of himself and Serena, though he had no idea when it could have been taken. Serena admitted it wasn't the biggest gift, but he was happy, in the same way that his Pokémon were happy at Brock's big batch of Pokémon food.

Though he couldn't blame them: they were just as antsy as he was. Just as he felt ready to travel instantly upon hearing about this Alola region, so, too, did his Pokémon seem to instantly know that he was about to leave again. Not that he had spoken it aloud to anyone yet, and indeed, by the time the lights had dimmed and Ash had shared one last, not-disastrous dance with Serena before everyone left, only Pikachu and Clemont seemed to know fully about any plans in his head.

Heading back to the Ketchum household amidst the starlit canopy of sky after the party, his friends that were staying at the house all jabbering in between their exhausted mumbles, Ash held onto Serena's hand and felt his body shake with slight excitement. Six months. Six months of training and enjoying the peace and quiet. And all it took was a few words from Diantha to inspire him again; he was ready to move forward and fulfill his dream yet again. The only problem was finding the words to tell Serena what he wanted to do, so that she could understand, but as the both of them yawned upon stepping inside, he decided he'd broach the topic tomorrow and, with a passing yawn, he went up the stairs with Clemont and Brock to flop upon his bed. Brock was out instantly, though Clemont appeared to remain awake.

"Hey, Clemont…" Ash muttered out from his place upon his bed. "You're gonna go to Alola, right…?"

"I hope to," Clemont said, yawning just a little. "Working on the IRCS and meeting my idols would be like a dream. What about you? I know Diantha mentioned it, but…"

"Yeah…I want to go," Ash admitted, the answer coming out in a whisper. "That way, I can get stronger, so me and Pikachu can battle Diantha and I can become a Pokémon Master." Pikachu murmured in agreement at the foot of his bed, curled up in a ball.

"Then do it…I'll stick with you. It'd be fun to have another journey together," Clemont yawned out once more, though it seemed to be the end of his journey as the inventor slipped off to sleep. Ash didn't say anything a moment, merely staring up at the ceiling of his room.

_You've become a wonderful Pokémon Master._

Ash's fist clenched, his father's final words coming to him. They no longer hurt the way they used to, but still…hearing them, remembering his promise at the end of the battle, it made Ash wonder if he was still making his late father proud by just sitting around. Shaking his head with a thought, Ash laid back against his pillow and breathed a couple more words before falling asleep.

"Well, Pikachu, looks like it's time for our next adventure."

* * *

"Ta-da!" Ash stopped at the foot of the stairs and proceeded to stare at Serena. He wasn't the only one doing so, as some of his other friends that still remained (Dawn and May, really) also looked to her. He blinked.

"Um…what's with the outfit change, Serena?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. Thinking that perhaps he was still asleep, or perhaps just tired from a night of letting his wanderlust affect him, he blinked again to make sure he was seeing right. When he looked again, though, he was absolutely sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him. Serena had almost completely changed her wardrobe. Gone was the pink dress and red fedora, replaced with a light blue skirt that traveled about three-quarters of the way down her thighs, her leggings soon after appearing. Her shirt, still that same light pink that matched nicely with her skirt, rested loosely on her shoulders, a white camisole peeking out from underneath the sleeveless piece of clothing. On top of her head was a simple straw hat, similar to the one he had met her in, a blue ribbon wrapped around it. Meanwhile,  _the_  blue ribbon was adorned on her wrist.

"Serena, you look so cute in that outfit!" Bonnie cheered out from the kitchen as Clemont passed pancakes to her.

"Thanks, Bonnie. Dawn and Mrs. Ketchum helped me design it!" Serena said and Ash turned to see the chipper bluenette throw a thumbs up.

"Oh, I just helped with the sewing work, dear. And you certainly helped with that other set of clothes. I usually like making nice ones but that accent worked rather well," his mother called from her own spot in the kitchen. Ash, however, was still confused and scratched the side of his head. Even Pikachu blinked in confusion.

"Okay, but…that doesn't answer the question," he pointed out. For a moment, he didn't receive his answer, since Serena had turned around to grab something else. When she faced him once more, Ash saw another pile of clothes resting in her hands, a red hat placed on top of it. They sort of looked like…

"It's my Alola outfit, of course!" Serena said, winking at him.

"Wait for it…" May said through a mouthful of pancakes. Bonnie seemed to be trying to emulate her, but Clemont reined his sister in as Korrina put her own pancakes in one at a time. That was hardly important given the gravity of Serena's words.

Finally, everything seemed to connect together in his brain. Looking between the outfit in her hands and the outfit she was wearing, combined with her words, everything clicked. His mouth dropped.

"Wha…? But…I…" Ash struggled to find the words to say, folding his arms briefly. Pikachu, in the meantime, picked his own jaw back up, looking between Ash and Serena. "I didn't even tell you. I mean, I was going to tell you, but I…how did you?"

"Come on, Ash, we've been dating how long, now?" Serena said, stepping forward and placing the set of clothes gingerly into his arms. Then she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I could tell yesterday when you were talking about the Alola region…and then I told your mom and…"

"I knew it meant you'd be leaving for another journey soon," Delia said, finally stepping out from the kitchen, a smile on her face. Ash looked at her, and judging from the looks on Dawn and May's faces, it seemed as though they had known about this, themselves. Delia continued stepping forward until she reached the couple, placing hands on both their shoulders. "You were never made to sit at home, Ash. Even if I  _have_  been happy about you being here, I know you've been thinking about your next move for some time."

"Oh…" Ash was unsure of what to say. He had been considering the idea of a journey to the Alola region for less than twenty-four hours, but like always, his mother knew just what to say. He almost wondered if she knew without him telling about the other thing. Likewise, Serena knew just what to do. It made him feel incredibly loved, and when Pikachu nudged him with a soft "Pikapi", he knew exactly what to say. With a grin, he reached forward and took Serena and his mother into an unexpected hug. "You guys are the best! All of you!"

"Hope that includes us, Ash!" Dawn said cheerily. "We might not be traveling with you, but you better not forget us!"

"Of course not!" Ash insisted after pulling back, this time facing Serena with his grin ever-wider. "That means you're coming with me?"

"Of course, Ash," she said, reaching out and cupping his face with one hand. "We agreed back in Lumiose City, remember? We'll all go together on our next adventure."

"Yeah! Yeah! Adventure!" Bonnie cried out from the kitchen now. "Clemont, we're going with them, right?"

"Y-yeah, of course. I just have to finish preparing and letting the League know, and-"

"Leave the League to me, Clemont!" Korrina said, thumping her boyfriend on the back. Clemont immediately turned to Korrina and began to argue with her about how it was his responsibility before Brock seemed to interrupt them with more food, all while attempting to muscle Mimey out of the way. Ash laughed and turned to Serena once more.

"You're sure?" he asked her. Serena reached up and removed the straw hat, it's blue ribbon fluttering, matching perfectly with her new skirt. She clutched it to her chest and stepped even closer, to the point that Ash could feel her body heat.

"Of course I'm sure. Why do you think I asked Aria about an equivalent to Showcases in Alola?" she said, and Ash could see the fire burning inside her eyes; one that he knew would never be put out. "I still have my dream: to become Kalos Queen and bring smiles to everyone. That was my promise."

Ash watched her a moment longer. He wasn't the only one still affected by the battle that day. It made him feel less alone. Ash thought of kissing her, but his mother already had her hands on them, pushing them towards the kitchen.

"Well, if you're going to be going anywhere, the first thing you need to do is eat. I had Professor Oak get you some tickets this morning when he booked Gary and Sawyer's flights," his mother told him, but any other words were lost by the gigantic breakfast before them.

In fact, no other details mattered but the food before them as they chatted away in friendly fashion. Of course, not all of his friends were there, with Misty having returned to the Gym (driven by Tracey, as it were) and Iris and Cilan already going their separate ways. From his mother's words, he had guessed that Gary, Sawyer and Miette had departed that morning while he knew Alain and Mairin had left the night before with Tierno, Trevor and Shauna. Knowing they were all on their own journeys again simply made him fired up for his next one, and within minutes after breakfast, Ash was looking himself over in the mirror, his new backpack (provided by his mother from yesterday's gifts, naturally) strapped over his shoulders and stuffed with everything he needed for the journey ahead. It was moving quickly, but that was just the way he liked it.

"Well, what do you think, Pikachu?" he asked of his best friend.

"Pikapi! Pika pika chu chu Pipika!" Pikachu said happily, all while flexing his arms with excitement. Ash had to agree with him: Serena had very good taste. He might not have been into fashion and all that, but even he could tell when an outfit coordinated. Though he did have a feeling that both Serena and his mother had been influenced by the outfit that he'd worn through Kalos.

Resting on him was a blue and white striped shirt with short sleeves. However, over that was a similarly colored (if not similarly patterned) zipper vest that was sleeveless and fit perfectly over the shirt, but without making things too warm. It felt comfortable and airy to Ash, who took the time to shove his hands inside the pockets of his brownish-gray shorts. Well, they weren't quite shorts, as they measured down to just a little past his knees, but they felt practical, and worked well with the ensemble that Serena had presented him. Adjusting the red cap on his head, Ash looked to Pikachu again.

"Ready for our next adventure, buddy? I can't wait to see lots of new Pokémon," he told him, holding out his arm for Pikachu to leap onto. "Just gotta say our last few goodbyes."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, and the duo left the room, bounding down the stairs. Only Serena, Clemont and Bonnie were there, the others having already left to apparently head to the airport. Grinning at his friends, Ash quickly took Serena's hand and pelted out the door, aiming right for Professor Oak's laboratory as rapidly as he could. A car was waiting outside, presumably the professor's, but Ash ignored it to burst into the backyard. Within seconds of his arrival, Serena and the others disengaged and stepped back while his Tauros came rumbling through. Once they had ceased, all of his Pokémon had gathered in the backyard before him.

"All right, guys! I'm heading out on another adventure!" he said, tossing his fist forward. Charizard let off a big spurt of flame in joy while Ash laughed. Each one of his Pokémon gave their own sort of customary farewell. He was glad to see them happy; even knowing his tendencies and that they'd have to be apart, all of them wanted to see him off in style, from hugs given by Infernape and the stoic Sceptile, to being tackled by all his Unovan starters. Ash could feel the love from all of them. The only one he didn't see in the crowd was Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon having vanished since last evening when their minds seemed to have briefly connected. Ash paid it little mind upon extricating himself from his group of birds. He turned and faced them all as Pikachu finished his farewells with Hawlucha, who was trying to rein in his manly tears.

"Well, when I return, we'll have more additions to the family, I promise!" he stated to all of them. "And… if there's any kind of League in Alola, I hope you'll all cheer me on together!"

"Rawwr!" Charizard agreed instantly and happily. Quickly offering them a wave and making sure they'd all be okay, Ash wiped the small, forming tears from the corners of his eyes and returned to his friends at the car out front. Professor Oak and his mother were now seated in the front seat.

"All set, then, Ash?" the professor asked. Ash just nodded, clutching to his backpack as he opened the door and let Serena slip in, followed by Bonnie and Dedenne. Once he and Clemont were in the car, they shot off for Viridian City. Ash watched Pallet Town flash by as they did so, lost in the reverie of departing from his friends. For a moment, he thought he saw a shadow flit by in the forest, but was soon distracted by a slight crackling from the dashboard of the car.

"You know you'll see them when you get back, right?" Serena asked of him, her hand resting on his knee.

"Of course, I will! But starting a new journey is always hard," he responded.

"But this time, you have us!" Bonnie insisted. Dedenne simply snored in response, sleeping peacefully in her bag. Ash looked over at her and noticed Clemont nodding at something on a small screen. Ash could only figure it was instructions from the League.

"Yeah! We're gonna travel Alola together, meet lots of strong trainers, and achieve our dreams!" Ash exclaimed, throwing his hand out. The other three all joined him, even Clemont, who had stopped his perusal of the contents before him. Clenching each other's hands tightly, they raised their hands into the air, clasped in fists.

Soon after, their car arrived in Viridian City and to the airport that was there. To no one's surprise, May, Dawn, Korrina and Brock were waiting there, each looking at the boarding numbers for their flights in a few minutes. They still managed to catch sight of them coming, though, from the windows of the airport. Ash smiled and waved at all of them when a sudden cry burst out from behind him. Turning around, he saw Clemont in a frazzled state…with Rotom zipping around his head.

"Ah! Rotom!" Clemont said in exasperation. "I had no idea you'd even snuck into the car!"

"Nor did I…the lab  _was_  strangely quiet this morning," Oak said, heaving a slight sigh. Rotom didn't stop, the buzzing Ghost type zipping back and forth with a laugh on its lips. Eventually, Clemont seemed to decide that enough was enough and he grabbed Rotom, only to be shocked, his poofed hair smoking. Rotom just turned around to look at him and laugh. "Oh my…it seems that Rotom has certainly taken a liking to you, Clemont."

"Really…?" Clemont coughed out, evidently disbelieving in his zapped state.

"Roto-to-to-to!" Rotom laughed out, but it didn't move from Clemont's hands. Ash raised an eyebrow at the sight as Professor Oak seemed to move in and pat Rotom on the head.

"You want to travel with Clemont and the others to Alola, then?" Oak asked of the Pokémon. Rotom, to Ash's surprise, merely nodded its head once more. "Well, then…guess I can't say no to that. Take good care of Rotom, Clemont. Make sure it returns safely with lots of stories about your adventures there! I'm sure it can learn a lot!"

"Will do!" Clemont said, taking one hand away from Rotom to place it over his heart. Surprised over seeing that their group had expanded already, Ash turned towards the airport, only for a small explosion to stop him in his tracks. A sharp ping filled his mind and Ash folded his arms in time to see Greninja drop down.

"Greninja…I was wondering where you were," Ash said with a huff. "I almost thought we wouldn't have a chance to say goodbye."

"Ninja," Greninja replied. Ash narrowed his gaze, trying to figure out exactly what the Water type was trying to tell him. That's when he noticed the shiny red and white surface of a pokeball in Greninja's webbed hands. In seconds, his loyal Pokémon kneeled down and placed the ball on the ground, rolling it across to him. Sighing with a light smile, Ash bent down and picked it up. He didn't even need their connection to know what he was saying. It went against most of what he did in a new region, but approaching the Pokémon and holding the pokeball out, he knew he could never deny them their most fervent wishes.

"I get it. You want to keep growing stronger together, right?" Ash asked. Pikachu scampered down his arm and placed his paw on the pokeball. Greninja reached forward and tapped against the ball, along with Pikachu's fist. In the brief second before he was brought back into the pokeball, he nodded, and then disappeared inside. "All right. We'll go together."

His pokeball moved inside his hand like a nod, but then Ash clipped the ball back to his side. Taking another look to Pikachu (who had scurried back up his shoulder), he led the group forward, into the airport. A chime was ringing in the distance, announcing boarding to Hoenn and Sinnoh.

"Well, looks like it's us," Dawn said, Piplup sitting atop her beanie. "You guys all take care of yourselves. Serena, make sure that Ash doesn't throw himself off a cliff in Alola or do all that other stuff that nearly gets him killed."

"You can count on me, Dawn," Serena said, stepping forward to hug the bluenette while May joined in. When the girls had separated, Dawn quickly turned back to Ash.

"And you better win whatever challenges there are in Alola!"

"You know I will!"

"Pikaka, pika!" Touching their hands in a high five with one another, a new bell rang out and Dawn instantly turned, she and May barely having time to utter another goodbye before they had to run off to catch their plane. Brock came to stand next to him, watching them go for a second before looking to Ash again. He nudged him.

"You take care of yourself, all right. I want to hear everything when we meet up again."

"Definitely," Ash said, taking the older man into a hug while another chime rang out.

"Passengers to Alola, please board the A-12 Toucannon flight departing from gate 7!" called the receptionist's voice. Ash sucked in a breath as he separated from Brock. Likewise, Korrina disengaged from a hug with Clemont and Bonnie, offering him a fist pump of confidence.

"Well, this is us," Ash said.

"We'll see you when we get back," Serena said. Bonnie jumped up and down in response while Ash turned to look at his mother and Professor Oak.

"Mom, Professor…take care of the others. I'll try to keep in touch."

"You just be safe out there, Ash, and have fun! You know I'll listen to anything and everything you have to tell me when you return. I'm always rooting for you, my Pokémon Master." Taking confidence from his mother's words and praise (which included the determination to find a way to tell her upon his return), he began to run for the gate their airplane was to depart from, Serena barely grabbing on to the back of his vest.

And when the plane bound for Alola took off moments later, reducing his mother and friends to mere pinpricks down below, the feeling of a new adventure settled into Ash Ketchum's bones.

* * *

"Jessie! James! Meowth!" the deep voice boomed across the dark room, snapping the three operatives who stood before it to rapt attention. The middle of the three attempted to peer through the darkness, trying to discern the imposing man that was their boss in his chair, but failed to do so. Instead, he continued pinning his arms to his side, awaiting his boss' orders.

"Sir!" he sounded out with Jessie and Meowth at his side. With a snap of the man's fingers, a screen in the dimly lit room burst brightly with colors, slightly illuminating the man before him, petting the Persian in his lap. Next to him, Meowth was grumbling under his breath.

"I was quite impressed with your work in Kalos this past year," Giovanni spoke, his voice resonating as though it belonged to one that wasn't even there. "However, the events that you depicted in Kalos leave me worried about the stability and foothold of our organization."

"What would you have us do, sir?" Jessie asked. Giovanni stopped stroking Persian a moment and turned around in his chair to look at the brightly lit screens. Upon them, James could see various islands and what looked to be long surveillance shots of some of the Pokémon in the region. They looked unfamiliar to James.

"I need the three of you, my best operatives, to head for the Alola Region," he instructed them. James would have raised an eyebrow, but given that Giovanni's assistant was nearby, he refrained from it. "I have heard rumors that this organization, ARC, is present upon the islands there. Your mission is to find them and eliminate them."

"With pleasure, sir," Meowth responded darkly.

"Excellent. While you're at it, be on the lookout for another group known as Team Skull. I have no worries about them in accordance with our organization, but Team Rocket has not survived this long by taking risks. You're free to take with you whatever Pokémon you feel necessary, but do not draw excess attention to yourselves. Simply complete your mission…for the glory of Team Rocket."

"For the glory of Team Rocket!" James said proudly, the other two joining him in doing so. Then Giovanni waved his hand and the three quickly made an about face to leave the room. Almost like robots, they strode into the brightly lit hallway, and when they were finally a distance from the boss' room…

"The boss said we're his best operatives!" Jessie said, pumping her fist into the air with a screech.

"We're the top dogs!" James responded as well.

"And I'm da top cat! Soon dat Persian will be knocked off its perch on da boss's lap," Meowth said, rubbing his claws together. James watched him for a moment, and tried to think of something else to say in praise of their praise, when he started mulling over the orders they had been given. Eliminate ARC. True, ARC was an enemy to world domination…yet…after having fought with them, some of the order left a bad taste in his mouth.

"You all right, James? You keep your mouth open anymore and a Ledyba will fly in!" Jessie mocked him, poking at his cheeks with a smirk. James shook his head.

"Just wondering how we'll fulfill the boss's orders," James answered. "Obviously, we'll need some new tech, and I could never part from my dear, sweet Inkay."

"All details! We'll figure it out later!" Jessie waved off. "Let's just grab what we need and hop on a plane to this Aurora."

"It's Alola, Jess," Meowth said, walking off with Jessie, who aimed a kick at him for talking back to her. James watched them go for a moment, still contemplating the orders they'd been given. Shrugging a little, however, James decided that dealing with ARC and whether to take them down or not would only come when they ran into them. Abandoning the thoughts for now, James picked up the pace to join Jessie and Meowth, ready for their latest mission.  _For now, going on the mission with these two is enough._

* * *

Diantha's heeled steps echoed across the League Headquarters in Kalos. She'd been attending this location far too often for comfort in the last few months, but given her initiatives lately, she knew it was no surprise. In fact, nodding at some of the League officials bustling past her in the rather populated area, she realized that she was now here for the same exact reason that she had been meeting for months on end.

It wasn't the most pleasant of reasons, she began to realize.

Rounding a corner, the Kalos Champion made a beeline straight for the door at the end of the hall. Quickly checking the clipboard in her hands, she pursed her lips, briefly perusing the document on it before she could reach the door and open it. Said door swung open to a small room, decorated only with a round table, six chairs and a table for refreshments. Four of the six chairs were already filled, and closing the door with a snap, the occupants in them silenced their mouths. Diantha didn't say anything, either, simply crossing the room to take a seat in a chair opposite the door, next to one of her fellow Champions. When she finally placed her clipboard down on the table, she looked up. She wasn't the first one to say anything, though.

"So…" began the red-haired and bulky Alder, "we're here again…Any particular reason why?"

"Quite a few, actually," Diantha said curtly. Alder seemed to shut his mouth at that while Diantha looked at the other three Champions: Steven, Cynthia and Lance. "I've spoken with Clemont, just yesterday, in fact, and he agreed to install the Inter-Regional Communication System on Mount Hokulani in Alola. Our regions will continue to come together."

"That can't be the only reason we've called a meeting, Diantha," Lance expressed, folding his hands as his cape draped over his shoulders. "That seems entirely like something you could handle on your own, even given our new League structure."

"Of course," Diantha agreed, now leaning forward and lacing her fingers together. "I've been contacted by Professor Kukui in Alola."

"Kukui?" Cynthia spoke out, arching an eyebrow at the mention of the man's name. "Now there's a name I've not heard for quite some time. I wonder how he and Burnet have been doing…" Diantha peered over at Cynthia, who chuckled lightly and cleared her throat. "Right…why did Kukui contact you, may I ask?"

"Take a look for yourself," Diantha admitted with a smile, shoving the clipboard over to Cynthia. The blonde-haired Champion took hold of the clipboard and thumbed through it, her eyes widening when they reached the end of the document.

"Oh?" she said, her lips parting slightly. Alder reached over and snatched the clipboard from her hands, though it tumbled out seconds later.

"Well, that's certainly a surprise…" he breathed out. "So, Alola wants to form a League, does it?"

"And they intend to hold the first annual one this year," Diantha noted. "Of course, they've asked for certain provisions to be made in comparison to other Leagues, such as no Gyms, and I'm willing to oblige them. Of course, given the reform lately, it will need the unanimous approval of all Champions."

"Hmmm," Steven said, himself now looking through. "The Lanakila Conference…held once a year, the self-proclaimed Island Trials and thus Island Pilgrimage replacing standard Gym battles…And an Elite Four to be determined by the first held League or Professor Kukui, himself? All seems like reasonable provisions to me. Seconded."

"I approve as well," Lance said. After a moment of silence, broken only with minute nodding from Cynthia, the redhead's gaze shifted to Alder, who appeared to be deliberating before shrugging. Steven slid the clipboard back over. "So, then, looks like there'll be a lot of work in the next few months, huh?"

"Well, to be honest, I  _have_  been in contact with Kukui for some time, and he's assured me that as Mount Lanakila already has a location perfectly ready for such an event, given its status in Island Trials, they can be ready to go at almost any time," Diantha informed them, signing off onto the clipboard once it slid back into her possession. When she did, she looked up and gave an apologetic smile. "That isn't the reason I'm expediting things, however."

"Oh?" Alder asked, his eyes twinkling dangerously.

"I received word this morning from Korrina, a Gym Leader in my region…it would appear that Ash Ketchum accepted my invitation to go to Alola." There was a general murmur that passed around the table of Champions. Diantha looked around, observing all of their faces carefully, though they all indicated the same thing. "Yes, I instantly thought the same thing. I have a feeling that the next tipping point may be close at hand…"

"Yeah, but wasn't that DARC group behind all that? They're gone now," Alder pointed out. Cynthia shifted in her chair, crossing one leg over the other.

"Perhaps so…but it won't stop the world from moving," the blonde told them. "DARC was proof of that. They may have been destroyed, but there are still those groups who would act without their influence. If fate is as immutable as is said, and the tipping point appears to naturally be approaching…"

"Perhaps it's time to make our moves?" Steven suggested. Diantha smiled, glad that each of the Champions could see where she was coming from. She stood authoritatively, and all of their attention gravitated towards her.

"My thoughts exactly. The world is on the move again, and this time, I believe we have the advantage. We've worked too long and hard the last many months to repair the tenuous relations and damage the League has caused. I will not have a single region be the spark that burned it all down again," Diantha announced to their group. "We make our move, to protect our region and ensure that this tipping point goes the right way, and hopefully unnoticed."

"And we're certain that the tipping point is near?" Alder asked, looking the most serious since he had arrived there. To that, Diantha could only smile.

"Of course," was the easy response, "after all, where Ash Ketchum goes, trouble always follows."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So…welcome to the end of the first chapter. I'm going to admit, it was kind of funny, diving back into the Ancienverse like this, and I'm sorry (but not really) for laying such a massive chapter on you for the very first chapter, but if you couldn't tell…well, a lot happened. Like, a way lot. Of course, this was the setup chapter for everything to come, from Team Rocket going to Alola, Ash and company heading there (with Rotom no less), and the League meeting with what are likely well-founded concerns. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Regarding some of my obvious decisions here. Yes, Greninja is going with Ash, for reasons that I won't reveal…except for one: Orange Shuriken of Supposed Destruction. Prepared for salt. Rotom is obvious, as is the Kalos Gang, though I wanted to give them, you know, an actual reason to go. I set up a lot of plot points that may not even have their ultimate fruition until the final book! I hope you'll stick with me that far!
> 
> On the subject of the Ancienverse, I have something special to share, as most of you may know. Recently, Serebii (a Pokemon forum) held their Shipping Oscars for 2016, and the Kalos Trilogy had been entered into it, albeit as separate books each. Regardless, the results came in and named Fragmented Figments as the Best Multishipping Fic, Love in the Time of Teamwork as the Best Amourshipping Fic, and myself as Best Author! I'm honestly floored by this response and I have a thanks to all those who voted. Even for those who didn't, I'm so grateful to all of you that supported my stories! I hope you'll continue to do so even unto this new trilogy!
> 
> That's all I have to say for now. I hope you'll all go on this wonderful adventure with me! So, please, Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	2. An Island

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I neglected to mention these things before, I'll do so now. For one, updates will come every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. For another, no, Ash will not be bringing reserves but Greninja along. I need to develop a whole new team, and I can't do that with a bunch of them there. Now, enough talk. Time for Chapter 2!

Chapter 2

An Island

Serena stirred, feeling something heavy in her lap as she did so. The sound of loud droning and a muted mutter invaded her ears, still slightly ringing from all the time they had spent in the air. Opening her mouth a little to try and alleviate the slight ringing, her action turned into a yawn and she realized that she must have been sleeping for quite some time. In fact, blinking a little, she quickly noticed that her head was actually resting upon Ash's shoulder as he stared giddily out the window. Giving a slight groan that went unnoticed, she decided to wake up fully and pulled her head off of Ash's shoulder, realizing that the something heavy was her own bag sitting in her lap. Blinking the sleep away from her eyes, Serena ran a hand through her hair and smiled at the sight of Ash and Pikachu's faces pressed excitedly up against the window.

"Look, Pikachu, those are some huge Pelipper!" Ash exclaimed to his best friend. Serena would have giggled at it, but opted for a small smile as she reached into her bag to pull out her tablet. Pulling up the home screen, a thought struck her: perhaps it wasn't going to work now that they were heading to a new region. Frowning a bit, Serena decided to look up the arrival time. Pressing a few buttons, she managed to pull up a screen that indicated there was less than a half hour until they landed at a place called Hau'oli City. Glad to have some kind of estimate, she closed the tablet and put it back in the bag.

"Rotom, stop that!" Clemont's voice called out suddenly. Ash continued to stare out the window excitedly, but Serena turned to her friend, noticing the inventor was out of his seat. Bonnie and Dedenne, for all their excitement earlier, were fast asleep on their chair, slumping over into where Clemont must have been just moments before.

Blinking her eyes once again, the honey blonde noticed that Clemont was hovering worriedly over a businessman that was staring at his own tablet in surprise. He almost seemed to drop it. "What's this now?"

"I'm so terribly sorry, sir!" Clemont apologized, bowing profusely. The man, dressed in a nice pair of pants, but a very casual floral-patterned shirt, chuckled at the intrusion and seemed to pay no mind. "Rotom is extremely energetic and loves electrical devices. And I'm not its trainer, so…"

"It's no bother young man," the business man chuckled out. He turned his tablet a little, and Serena could see Rotom's face peeking out of it with a laugh. "It's a rather excitable one. I'm sure it'll enjoy all of the great devices we have in Alola."

"Roto-to-to-to!" Rotom laughed out, leaving Clemont exasperated. Serena watched a moment longer as the businessman seemed to tell Clemont not to worry and instead let Rotom stay with him until the plane landed. Clemont looked reluctant, but sighed in agreement. It seemed to Serena that Rotom had been consistently doing this through the plane ride (though given that no stewardess was near them, it meant that Rotom hadn't played with the controls of the plane).

Serena turned back in her seat towards Ash. "Having fun, you two?"

"It's awesome!" Ash exclaimed, turning back in his seat to face her. Pikachu also managed to remove his face from the window to look at her. She laughed lightly at that; no matter what age Ash might have just turned, seeing new Pokémon and experiencing new things with excitement never changed about him. She really loved that. "Not that we've seen anything new yet…"

"Pika…" Pikachu said, nodding lightly, as though saddened by their current state of development.

"Well, I'm sure you will soon," Serena stated. "We can't be far now."

"Yay! A new region!" Bonnie suddenly shouted from her seat across the aisle. Clemont and Dedenne both looked startled by her outburst, jumping a little. She seemed to have woken up, full of energy and more than ready to start their new adventure. Clemont quickly scolded her just as the light overhead went on, and the captain's voice echoed in the cabin.

"Passengers, please remain seated. We are now beginning our landing in Hau'oli City!" the captain called out. At this, Ash once more pressed his face against the window excitedly.

"Serena, you've gotta see this!" he said. Deciding to oblige her boyfriend, Serena leaned over his body and looked out the window. It was certainly a sight to behold. The plane was descending, and drawing ever closer to the eye was an island. In fact, it soon turned out that Alola was a whole chain of islands to her knowledge. They, however, were heading for one of the smaller ones, decorated with forests and sandy beaches. She felt her heartbeat speed up with the thrill of excitement.

"It looks amazing!" she cried out at the sight. The ocean waves, even from their distance, lapped against the shore as Wingull flew past their plane. Feeling the full brunt of their upcoming adventure, all the new Pokémon and people they'd meet, Serena brought herself back from Ash and prepared for their landing. Making sure everything in her bag was set, she held onto it. "Why don't you make sure you have everything ready, Ash?"

"Good idea," he noted, quickly unzipping his bag. Pikachu peered in with him and they both agreed that everything was good to go. Her boyfriend's leg started to jitter, which only increased as the plane touched down upon the runway. In mere moments, it had pulled to a stop. Somehow, the two of them shared the same mind as both Ash and Serena stood, ready for the adventure ahead. Around them, the other passengers were a little more lethargic. Once more, the bell rang and the captain spoke once again.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Alola Region! Enjoy your stay in Hau'oli City!"

"Yes! Let's go, Pikachu! Serena!" Ash quickly took her hand and began bustling right out of the plane excitedly. Serena used her free hand to tamp her straw hat down as she turned to Bonnie and Clemont. Bonnie was already up and moving, gathering her bag and racing ahead of her brother.

"Hurry up, Clemont! We've got lots of new and cute Pokémon to see!" she chided him. Ash was turning now, still attached to her hand as he did so.

"I'm coming, Bonnie. Just hold on!" Clemont shouted, making sure to grab anything that could have been left behind. Then he was racing after his sister quickly as Serena was pulled out of the airplane and on to the stairs. A blast of sun impacted her eyes and she dipped her hat a bit to shield it from the bright Alola sun. The first thing she heard upon descending the airplane ramp was the sound of the surf lapping against the sands, and, looking up, she could see some palm trees whispering in the winds. The rest of the city wasn't visible, given their position in the airport, but it certainly didn't stop Ash's excitement from overflowing.

"Hello, Alola!" Ash screamed proudly, letting go of her hand to stretch his arms high towards the sky. A breeze rustled past them, warming Serena's exposed skin. "Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town is finally here!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu called out alongside his trainer. Serena giggled again at his enthusiasm. Another warm breeze blew past all of them and Serena looked up to see a flock of bird Pokémon that she didn't recognize fly past.

"Oh, they look so cute!" Bonnie cheered, stamping her feet up and down in joy. Dedenne chattered away on her head, sharing his caretaker's boundless excitement.

"What kind of Pokémon are they?" Ash asked, and though his back was to Serena while they moved away, in order to let more passengers off the plane, she could tell his grin was as wide as it could get. She was actually glad that he had decided to go on another journey (and take her with, of course); it was just the thing he needed after the very emotional events in Kalos.  _No, it was something we all needed_ , she said to herself, her mind briefly remembering the moment of holding herself on the rain drenched field. She shook her head, and the memories with them. "Let's follow them, Pikachu! We'll explore the city!"

"Ash, don't split from the group!" Serena chided him. He and Pikachu were caught mid-step, turning around to smile at her sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his head. Yet Serena could also see the pure inquisitiveness and curiosity that made Ash, himself, yearning to take over. She sighed a little. "Fine, have some fun, but make sure we meet at the Pokémon Center in an hour, okay? We don't want to be too separated on our first day in the region."

"Got it! Love you! Let's go, Pikachu!" With little more than that, Ash and Pikachu were off tearing through the airport, apologizing to a lady they had closely avoided. Rolling her eyes with amusement, Serena turned back to Bonnie and Clemont, who were standing near the man with the tablet from earlier. Making sure her straps were tight on her backpack, she approached the group.

"Thank you for letting Rotom hang around," Clemont was saying to the man with a slight chuckle. At his words, Rotom seemed to decide that its fun was over. It popped out of the man's tablet with some sparks and then circled around Clemont's head before seemingly embedding itself into his bag, where it laid dormant for the time being.

"It's no problem at all," the man said, waving away the situation. "Like I said, we Alolans are in harmony with nature and Pokémon. A little Rotom like that is commonplace."

"Oh, then you're returning home?" Serena asked. The man crinkled his eyes a bit and then smiled at her.

"Back on a business trip from Saffron City," the man said. He reached into the pocket on his shirt and pulled out a card, handing it over to Serena. "You look like a fashion conscious girl. Why don't you stop by my clothing store? I recently received word that we're having a special guest there today."

"Oh, thank you very much!" Serena noted, looking down at the business card to find it was for the owner of a shop named "Hau'oli Fashion" complete with a little map that led to its location. "Um…if you don't mind, do you also know where the Pokémon Center is?"

"Ha ha, why don't you kids just come with me. I'll show you around the city," the man said. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of sunglasses that he put on. "Name's Haku, by the way."

"I'm Serena," the honey-blonde offered as the four of them began to make their way towards the airport exit. For a brief moment, having not caught sight of Ash, she hoped he'd be able to make his way to the Pokémon Center without getting too lost, but Haku was pulling them along towards a receptionist before she could dwell on it.

"My name's Bonnie, and this is Dedenne!" Bonnie introduced herself, Dedenne joining her before curling up into a ball on her head.

"My name's Clemont. Pleasure to meet you officially, Mr. Haku." Haku laughed and continued on his way up to the receptionist before turning to Serena.

"Miss Serena, you have a tablet I suppose? With a map function?" he asked and Serena could see his hazel eyes staring kindly at her. Choosing not to answer verbally, Serena dug in her bag and once more took her tablet out, handing it over to Haku as he rotated his body to face the receptionist. "Alola!"

"Alola!" the receptionist replied. Serena blinked before realizing that the name of the region must have been used as a customary greeting between people. "How can I help you today, Mr. Haku?"

"Just a map upgrade," Haku told her, handing over the tablet. He seemed to wink at the receptionist, who giggled a little. At that, Serena arched an eyebrow; she got the sudden feeling that Haku was a man who very much liked to flirt with the receptionist. Said receptionist took her tablet and appeared to plug it into something. After a few seconds, there was beeping and she took the tablet back out. Haku grabbed it and handed it back over to Serena. She instantly began pressing buttons on the screen and was surprised as she suddenly found all the information she could ever want about the Alola region fluttering around her screen. Bonnie jammed herself up against her and took a look at it.

"Looks like the Pokémon Center is right down the road," the lemon blonde said happily. Clemont nodded, heaving his backpack on his shoulders a little and wiping his brow. He must have been sweating profusely, Serena thought, no doubt due to his heavy bag and jumpsuit.

"Why don't I head there and let the League know that I've arrived safely? You told Ash to meet there in an hour, right?" Clemont asked. Serena opted for merely nodding to confirm just what he had said. Adjusting his glasses a bit, he smiled and began making his way for the exit from the airport. "Take care of Bonnie, Serena! Have fun!"

"You too, big brother!" Bonnie shouted out, drawing a little attention from those around them. Clemont didn't pick up the pace, but vanished into the crowds at the airport before long. A chiming sound was heard, calling for a boarding to the Unova region, but Serena ignored it in favor of turning to Haku, who was still busy flirting with the receptionist a moment longer. He finished it up, however, and turned to the two females.

"Well, ladies, shall we?" he asked with a wink. Clutching his tablet and briefcase in his hands (which, incidentally, it seemed that was all he was carrying) Haku began leading them out of the airport, his white hair shimmering under the lights until they broke out into the full view of Hau'oli City's sun-drenched sights.

"Ah!" Bonnie cried with the giddiest expression imaginable, running forward towards a railing that appeared to separate the airport from the beach below. Serena quickly joined her, glad that she had a hat to block out the intense heat of the sun. Bonnie was squinting a little at the brightness, and Serena had a sudden idea for when they got to Haku's shop. For the moment, however, she watched with Bonnie as a few unfamiliar Pokémon leapt from the water in a coordinated pattern. It looked like a performance to Serena's eyes, but she was forced to avert her gaze as Haku was already leading them away.

"Come on, Bonnie. We can look at all the Pokémon when we're all together, okay?" she said to the younger girl.

"Okay," she said back and the two quickly trailed after Haku, who was strolling leisurely down the streets of the city, greeting some people with a hearty "Alola!" as he went along. Following after him, Serena could take in all the sights of the softly swaying palm trees with the almost-resort styled homes and shops in the area. It was really a thing of beauty to her. The people around them all seemed relaxed too, enjoying their time on a stroll with their Pokémon.

"There's a lot that you'll find in Hau'oli City," Haku spoke out, drawing Serena's attention to the older man. "Hau'oli is the biggest city…well, really  _only_  city on Melemele Island."

"What are the other islands like? Are there lots of cute Pokémon?" Bonnie asked energetically. Serena had to stop her from practically bouncing up and down in the street at the thought of it.

"There are  _plenty_  of cute Pokémon," Haku assured her with a wink. Taking Bonnie's hand carefully, Serena continued them along the path after Haku, catching a glimpse of the large pokeball sign that signified a Pokémon Center. As the three of them passed by it, Serena definitely caught a glimpse of Clemont inside, though she couldn't see who was on the screen he was talking to. "But besides that, we've got plenty of fun attractions. I own the best clothing store on the island. There's a salon, a shopping mall if that's your thing. We even have a Pokémon school near the outskirts. Are you transfer students?"

"Nope! We're going on an adventure!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Dedene!"

"Ha ha, well, that sounds like quite a bit of fun," Haku said, his entire chest moving a little with his booming laugh. "Whereabouts are all of you from?"

"Well, Ash is from Kanto, obviously," Serena informed the man with a smile, moving up to keep in stride with him as they rounded a corner. The three of them were passing by a café now with a number of people sitting outside it and chatting amicably. Some were in couples, or groups, while others were on their own. One of them was sitting quite comfortably by himself as he tossed what looked like some beans to a strange and unfamiliar Pokémon before brushing his blond hair out of his eyes. He paid little attention to anyone around him, but Serena figured that it just meant Alola was as diversified as the other regions.

"You talk as though you're not."

"No, the rest of us are from Kalos," Serena told him. "Ash met us all while we traveled there and it's been quite the adventure."

"I see, I see…and you and Ash…?" Serena, despite having been dating for sixth months, couldn't help the blush as she nodded. Haku laughed again, even more jovially than before. He quickly changed topics after. "Kalos, huh? Our captain, Ilima, studied there about a year or two ago. In Lumiose City."

"That's where I'm from!" Bonnie chirped happily. Serena, however, had a much different question on her mind.

"Captain?" Haku carried a twinkle in his eyes at the question, but didn't answer as they arrived outside the glass doors of what looked like a little boutique. Well, "little" was hardly the term she would use given how large the customer base seemed from just a glance. In lieu of responding, he pushed the doors open and strode right inside, acting like the owner of the place that he was.

"I'm back, Launa!" the man called. Some of the store's patrons looked around wildly while others continued on with their shopping. Serena looked around instantly for who the man could be calling for and noticed a young woman wearing a rather loose-fitting top waving at him lazily from behind a counter. "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Miss Akela arrived," Launa called over to him. Haku nodded, walking over to the counter and placing his briefcase upon it. "Everything go well in Saffron City, Mr. Haku?"

"Well enough. Saffron Textiles has reduced their payment required," Haku chuckled out. Serena and Bonnie hung back, the latter glancing around the store in interest. It was certainly a colorful array of shirts, pants and dresses that could catch anyone's eyes. However, Serena's mind was more focused on the name that Launa had just dropped.

_Miss Akela…_ she mused in her brain. The name sounded incredibly familiar to her, but she just couldn't seem to place it. Hoping that the store could maybe help her obtain some kind of clue, she continued to look around the place. The name kept mulling over her brain, but she was unable to get any sort of clue as to where she'd heard it before. "Guests of yours, Mr. Haku?"

"Oh," Haku said, turning back around with a grin as he took his sunglasses off. "Serena, Bonnie, it's been a pleasure meeting you. Feel free to browse the store, and anything you see that would be a nice fit, just tell Launa here. On the house. Oh, and welcome to Alola!"

"Alola," Launa greeted the pair, obviously realizing that they were newcomers to the region. Serena turned to the amethyst-haired cashier with her own smile.

"A-Alola," she responded. Haku gave them one more twinkling smile before opening the counter up and stepping behind it to head into the backroom. Serena watched them a moment, especially as Launa returned to looking rather bored.

"Serena," Bonnie said, tugging on the hem of her shirt. Serena looked to her little-sister-figure inquisitively. "Can we go shopping? I want a big floppy hat."

"Sure, but don't run off without me. You and Dedenne, both," Serena insisted. Bonnie nodded and ran off to a children's section of the store to look at some of the hats there. Serena, likewise, stepped over to a row of one piece dresses in solid and bright colors. The thought of where she'd heard the name "Akela" before kept interrupting in her mind and she placed a hand to her chin in contemplation.

"That…is a really awesome pose!" called an excited voice. Serena blinked and turned, wondering just who the voice was talking to. "Hold that position for me, please?"

"Um, excuse me?" Serena asked, finally turning to see a younger girl, probably no more than fourteen years old, gazing up at her with her fingers boxed like she was filming a movie. The girl looked extremely energetic, her black hair messily and lightly tied up in a ponytail, wisps of it falling in front of her eyes. She broke her box in order to tuck the strands of hair back. "W-were you talking to me?"

"Yeah, are you some kind of model?" the girl asked, now hitching her bag on one of her shoulders. Serena almost laughed at that, but shook her head. "You should be. You'd look  _great_  on television or in a movie."

"Uh, thank you for the compliment," Serena admitted, giggling just a little.

"She's right, you know," Launa said lazily. Serena once more turned to now find the girl flicking through a magazine. "Your clothing is top notch. Probably up there with Miss Akela's brands. And she's the best designer in all of Alola, maybe even the world."

"Oh!" Serena said, clapping her hands together in sudden realization. Finally, it clicked in her brain where she had heard of Miss Akela before. In fact, she wanted to kick herself for not recognizing it sooner. All those hours poring over fashion magazines with Dawn, it must have passed right by her. "You're talking about Miss Akela, of Akela Apparel?"

"Who else would we be talking about?" Launa stated with a laugh. "She's only one of the most famous people in Alola…other than the captains and Kahunas, that is." The latter two words flew completely over Serena's head, but hearing that such a famous fashion designer was close by excited her quite a bit. The black-haired girl stepped forward, her green irises shining brightly.

"I'm so looking forward to meeting her!" she shouted excitedly. "I always wanted to meet Miss Akela. When I become a self-director and producer of my very own film, I want to shine on the screen just like her!"

"You've got a long way to go if you want to reach Miss Akela," Launa snarked out, almost snickering at the aspiring girl. Said girl stopped her eye shimmering and puffed her cheeks out in defiance. It only lasted a moment before a woman stepped out from the backroom.

She needed no introduction.  _This_  had to be Miss Akela. It was all too obvious: the woman had practically porcelain skin, perfectly tanned. Her long, purple hair flowed down her back in beautiful tresses before being tied up at the end. On top of it, she was wearing a stunning, yet entirely practical, white dress that flowed around the knees and was tied around the waist with a thin, but attractive, red belt. More than that, however, Serena realized that her blue eyes conveyed what Serena had only seen before in Aria: a sense of grace and nobility not usually seen. This woman was more than just some fashion designer, and Serena could instantly tell that.

Unfortunately, she could also tell that she was very close to what would soon become the target for a rampaging stampede.

"What's this you're talking about, Launa?" Miss Akela said, adjusting the sunglasses that were sitting just above her eyes. "Not putting people down for having dreams, are we? Don't forget that I started out working with my very own Fomantis in the back of a storage shed in Malie City before attending the school here on Melemele. I dreamed, and now I'm here, supporting an important industry without even a main corporate office."

"Just keeping some realism, ma'am," Launa said, but seemed to have the thought to look ashamed. Akela frowned a bit at the woman, taking the sunglasses from her head and placing them inside the front of her dress, dipping into her cleavage. Her head turned to look at Serena and the girl next to her, a smile now resting on her lips, and she appeared to freeze for a fraction of a second. Serena didn't relent from the gaze, but instead smiled back. Miss Akela opened her mouth, but was unable to get the words out in time.

"It's her!" squealed a girl from elsewhere in the store. Serena blinked, breaking whatever connection there was there and quickly backed up. It proved to be just in time, too, as a sudden flood of people, boys and girls alike, all swarmed towards Miss Akela. The girl that had been standing next to Serena remained there was well, pulling out a big pad of paper that looked to have some sort of weird framing shots on them.

Not wanting to be caught in the crush of the crowd, Serena retreated over to the men's section of the store, located right on the border of the women's. Not looking precisely where she was going, Serena suddenly bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"No, it's okay," responded a voice. Serena whipped around at it, to find that she had bumped into a girl, roughly her age, or perhaps a year younger, staring at the row of dresses absentmindedly. She couldn't understand why, though: the girl was fairly beautiful as she was now, and her own clothing was perfect. Her white dress made her seem very posh and rich, coming down to around the same area her own skirt did. Likewise, she was wearing stockings, though these were white, and situated on her head was a big, white hat, concealing her braided blonde locks. Smiling at the girl just briefly, she turned to look at the massive crowd.

"She's very popular, isn't she?"

"I guess…" The girl seemed very reticent in her answer, like she didn't want to speak with Serena. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"O…kay…" Serena commented, only able to watch as the girl dashed from the store, her large bag bouncing against her hip. The honey blonde chalked it up to simply another event in the Alola region.

"Serena! I found my hat!" Bonnie suddenly called, skipping through the store (all while moving some other crowding customers aside) to reach her. Contained in Bonnie's hands was a hat similar to the one that Serena had just seen on the girl that departed. Only, instead of being plain, she could see a flower decoration tucked into the pink ribbon around the pale-colored hat. The younger girl put it on top of her head and grinned. "Doesn't it look great?"

"It does! Though let's wait until the crowd clears to purchase it," Serena pointed out, looking for a place to sit as the customers in the store all worked to gather Miss Akela's autograph. To Serena's surprise, Bonnie didn't ask who the woman was, or even seemingly thought of asking her to keep Clemont. In some way, it reminded Serena of how quickly Bonnie had grown up in Kalos. They all had. Some days she didn't notice it but there were times, like now, when she had nothing to think about, that the reminder entered her brain.

After fifteen minutes of waiting around, Serena looked at the clock in the store to see that it was almost time for them to be getting to the Pokémon Center. The crowds had barely thinned, but with little time left, the Performer stood and walked with Bonnie towards Launa. The crowd didn't seem to want them to pass, but after a few "excuse me"s and "pardon"s, the two girls were able to finally approach the older girl to check out.

"Very stylish," she commented on Bonnie's headwear. "Let me just ring it up for our records. And sorry for all the commotion. Miss Akela is a busy, popular woman."

"A fulfilling passion," Akela spoke out and Serena looked over to the violet haired woman. She finished signing a young boy's napkin and turned to face Serena with a rather discerning look. Now that they were so close, Serena could see how defined her features were; not haughty or condescending, but still very pointed, with a prominent cheekbone. It was like she was piercing her with her gaze. "What's your passion, my dear?"

"Serena wants to be Kalos Queen!" Bonnie answered as Launa finished ringing up her hat. To this, Akela inclined her head.

"Ambitious. I traveled Kalos, once, many years ago. A title of royalty is not one to achieve lightly," she noted. "Though, I must ask then…why are you here?"

"I'm…" Serena paused a moment, wondering how to best phrase the answer. "I'm here to grow and fulfill my dream by bringing happiness to others." It was a vague answer at best, and certainly garnered a look of skepticism from Launa while Akela shifted to peer at her more closely.

"An even more lofty goal…you've certainly set your path on a steep road," Akela commented. Serena had the distinct feeling that were Akela free from the constricting bindings of the counter, she would have been walking around her. "Yes…I think she'd do just fine."

"For what?" Launa asked, but Akela didn't answer. She continued watching Serena, who just stared right back. Miss Akela's eyes were sharp, as if daring her to try something. To search for something.

"My dear, what's your name?" Akela asked, a small smirk coming to her lips. Serena answered. Her smirk turned to a challenging smile. "Well, Serena, I'm intrigued."

"By what?" Before she answered, Akela dug into her dress and pulled out a card. Only, when Serena caught it, she discovered that it wasn't a business card, but an invitation of sorts. "I want to see you walk the road of the Ali'i ka Leilani. See your dream at the end."

"Excuse me?" Serena asked. Her mind was whirling, confused over what was going on. Her eyes were on the card in her hand, but she couldn't make sense of it in her current state. All she heard was Miss Akela's laugh. All she really saw was Launa's confused expression. And if she didn't understand the woman's words, there was no way Serena would. The older woman reached out and patted Serena on the shoulder.

"Let me know what you discover, Miss Serena. I look forward to seeing you at the Leilani Ceremony!" Serena blinked as the violet-haired woman suddenly excused herself from the groans of disappointment and retreated away.  _The Leilani Ceremony…Aria mentioned something like that…_ Confusion slowly replaced itself with understanding, and Serena's hand shook with excitement that she couldn't stop. Miss Akela's words had been confusing, and all too blunt and abrupt, but holding the card in her hands, she felt she was about to step foot on another adventure. She wasn't just following after Ash again, but moving forward side by side. The details for what the Leilani Ceremony and the Ali'i ka Leilani were could come later.

"Serena," Bonnie suddenly hissed, and Serena followed Bonnie's hand to see her pointing at the clock.

"Oh! Thank you for everything, Launa. Tell Mr. Haku we appreciated his help, but we have to go!" Serena insisted, taking hold of Bonnie's hand as they began to leave the store. The black haired girl from earlier perked up as she passed by, but Serena was in too much of a hurry.

"No problem! Alola!"

"Alola!" Serena cried without thinking, and then she and Bonnie were back on the streets of Hau'oli.

* * *

"Whoa, look at that, Pikachu!" Ash commented, running down the streets of Hau'oli City. Pikachu clung to his vest in excitement, likewise staring at everything they passed by. "That's a new Pokémon!"

"Grub?" the Pokémon in question asked, turning to Ash. Ash stopped to observe it a moment, the little one's pincers clicking a little. After a moment, it seemed to decide that Ash was rather uninteresting and it burrowed quickly under the ground.

"Wow! So awesome!" Ash said, gripping his fists with excitement. He looked up a little more and saw the same flying Pokémon he had seen in the airport go to rest in a palm tree with some berries. A little further down the road, Ash could see some other Pokémon nibbling at a loose berry on the ground. Breathing in the ocean air, Ash couldn't help the giddy smile from stretching his face. He simply felt so  _free_.

"Pikapi! Pika chu…" Pikachu suddenly said in what sounded like utter amazement. Ash lowered his gaze from the birds in the tree to the sight of a woman walking with…a Meowth? Only, it didn't quite look like a Meowth (and that was something he knew from experience). Drawing closer, he squinted at it, wondering if he was seeing things.

"Meow?"

"What's wrong Meowmeow?" asked the woman, clutching at her purse. She seemed to notice Ash staring at her Meowth and she clucked her tongue a little, drawing his attention. "Alola, young man."

"Oh…uh, Alola?" Ash said, not completely sure if he was saying the right thing, but judging from the fact that the woman smiled at him, he figured he was okay. "Sorry…just, your Meowth looks so different."

"You're not from Alola are you, dear?" the woman asked with a jovial laugh. Ash shook his head, but put his focus on the woman. "Well, then you must feel very confused. Our Meowth aren't like other regions'. Couldn't exactly tell you why but…"

"That's awesome!" Ash said happily. Sure, he didn't have any explanation for why Meowth looked so different, its fur a gray color and its eyes even more sly looking than Team Rocket's, but he still found it to be fascinating. Though, there was one other question on his mind. "Oh, do you know where the Pokémon Center is? I'm supposed to meet my friends there."

"Ah, yes, it's the big red building down that street near the airport. Can't miss it."

"Thanks!" Ash said, and Pikachu likewise returned the thanks before they took off again. Ash turned his gaze in the direction of the Pokémon Center, now able to see it from where he was. He really wondered how he had missed it…though it wasn't like he was paying attention. Regardless, he took off at a run again. "I guess we probably shouldn't have left Serena behind, huh?"

"Pikapi…" Pikachu scolded him, shaking his head. Ash laughed a little. Running down the street, seeing the new Pokémon, wanting to catch one of them, it was the only thing on his mind the second he had arrived in the city. It wasn't like he wanted to avoid time with Serena, but being in a new region, with new things…it simply got his blood pumping.

"Ah, well, at least she understood, right? When we meet up, I bet we'll have lots of great stories to tell!" Ash told his partner. Pikachu nodded in agreement with that one as they rounded a corner. A café was sitting ahead and Ash could smell some delicious pastries in the air. He thought of getting one for his grumbling stomach, but chose to put it off; no doubt Serena would make  _something_  later, and he'd rather save himself for that. He was, however, forced to pull to a stop as a bright light shined at the waist of his belt. Skidding to a stop, Greninja emerged from his pokeball, looking alert.

"Nin," he said simply. Ash blinked before staring at his trusted Water type.

"What's wrong, Greninja?" Ash asked. There was a sudden and brief twinge in his mind, like they were connecting, but not. Greninja had sensed something; some sort of danger. "Right, show us the way."

"Ninja!" Greninja agreed and he ran off, leading them towards another street. Ash ran right after him as fast as he could, nearly knocking into the blond boy that was sitting at a table outside. He apologized as the boy stared at him, before he pelted down the road after Greninja. Pikachu leapt from his shoulder to run alongside him and keep pace. Before long, Pikachu's ears appeared to twitch.

"Pi!" he cried, and Ash could sense they were getting close. Well…it was more like he  _heard_  they were growing close. Rushing past a pair of men that were chatting on the street (or he thought they were…one of them looked a little feminine), Ash hopped a little and ran full throttle after Greninja, only stopping when his Pokémon did.

"No! You're mean bullies! I won't let you have Pichu, meanies!" a little girl was yelling. Not that Ash could see her, as she was obscured by a trio of what looked like thugs, dressed in absolutely ridiculous black getup. In front of them were more Pokémon that Ash had never seen before.

"Pichu!" Pichu cried.

"Yo, you ain't the boss of us, little girl!" one of the thugs said and Ash couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. It reminded him of the two brothers they'd met outside the Battle Chateau.

"Now hand over that Pichu, or we're gonna have to get serious, yo!" another said, this one a little more heavyset than the previous one.

"No!" the girl refused, and through a gap in the thugs, Ash could see the girl taunting them by pulling at her eye and sticking her tongue out. "Pichu, Thunder Shock!"

"Pichu!" Pichu cried out again, only this time, it was accompanied by a small spark that zapped the third of the thugs, sending him dropping to the floor. He twitched, and it was almost comical, if not for the situation.

"Yo! You gonna pay for that!"

"That's our bro, yo!"

"Hey, cut it out!" Ash finally yelled. Pikachu and Greninja crouched a little, each ready to battle. The thugs turned around, and Ash finally got a glimpse of their faces…or at least as much as he could: they were covered on the lower half by bandannas. "Leave her alone."

"Yo, this punk wants to pick a fight with us."

"Let's show him how bad Team Skull can be, yo!" Ash narrowed his eyes at the guy's statement.  _Team Skull?_  he mused to himself, but realized it was no time to dwell on it. "Yungoos, use Bite!"

"Yun!" the Pokémon, evidently a Yungoos, cried out as it ran right for Pikachu.

"Dodge it and use Iron Tail!" Ash commanded, hardly missing a beat. Yungoos' jaw opened wide and he rushed forward, prepared to take a bite out of Pikachu, but he dodged at the last second. His tail glowed a bright white and he brought it swinging around to slam into the Yungoos. Said Pokémon flew back and impacted with the thug who had ordered it, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Not cool, man…you didn't say you were strong…" he wheezed out. His compatriot looked at him with wide eyes. "Bro…I totally can't go on."

"Hang in there, bro! I'll get revenge! Zubat, use Leech Life!" Ash blinked as the last remaining thug ordered his attack. That would have been completely normal…except for the fact that thug kept making weird arm movements, almost like he was some kind of Pokémon himself (though what kind of Pokémon, he was less sure on). Zubat chittered and flew right for them, its fangs glowing a blood-red.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken! And Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, throwing his arm out. Greninja bounced high up, summoning his watery blades while Pikachu gathered electricity in his cheeks.

"Yo, what's up with that? ! Since when can frogs jump so high? !" the thug called out right as Greninja tossed his shuriken. The first one slammed into Zubat, knocking it to his trainer's feet while the second one struck the trainer himself, causing him to double over a little. Seconds later, Pikachu's searing Thunderbolt made contact, electrocuting all three at the same time. "This ain't good! Come on, bros, let's pull back!"

"Roger that!" said the one with the Yungoos, jumping right onto his feet. Both of the thugs grabbed on to their earlier fallen comrade and began to pull him away down the street with surprising speed. Before they left, he turned back. "Yo! Don't forget about us, 'cause we'll be back! We're Team Skull, and we never quit!"

"O…kay…" Ash commented, tilting his head a little, only watching as they disappeared in a dust cloud. Seconds after they were gone, Pikachu hopped up onto his shoulder once more. "Thanks, you guys. Great job."

"Pika!" Pikachu said. After celebrating a little, Pikachu greeted the little Pichu in the girl's arms as Ash kneeled down to her level.

"You okay?" he asked. The girl nodded her head.

"Usually, mommy can take care of those Team Skull guys like nothing, but Pichu isn't very strong yet…" the little girl answered. Ash smiled down at her and reached his hand out to ruffle Pichu's fur.

"Aw, I'm sure he'll be strong in no time, just like Pikachu, here," he told her. The little girl beamed up at him and nodded. "Now, you make sure you get home safe."

"Okay! Thanks!" the little girl cried, and she was soon running down the street. Ash watched her go with some sense of satisfaction, but that same satisfaction soon turned to a frown on his face.  _Team Skull…I guess there're Pokémon thieves everywhere…_

"Oh, well. Not too bad for our first battle in Alola…I guess," Ash laughed out. "Thanks for everything, Greninja."

"Gren," responded the Ninja Pokémon, right before Ash recalled him. Rubbing the back of his head, Ash decided to head for the Pokémon Center. Regardless of how much time was left, he really didn't want to be late when he'd promised Serena he'd be there. Breathing in a little, he turned around and started in the direction he'd come from, only to stop short.

"Not a bad battle."

"Thanks?" Ash said. Before him was a boy; a rather familiar one. It took him a second, but he finally realized that the boy was the one he had seen at the café just a few moments ago. More importantly, though, was the Pokémon next to him. It was beyond unusual, with clawed feet, a gray body and what looked like a rusted face mask. If Ash was honest, he thought it was one of the coolest Pokémon he'd ever seen, even if it was eyeing him with what he assumed was an unpleasant expression. "Uh…you are?"

"How about your next opponent?" the boy said, bringing his hand up to his face. Now that he had the chance, Ash could see the boy's features, from his strikingly green eyes to his blond hair that was styled so a large fringe of it dangled over one side of his face. He was tossing a pokeball up and down in the air, while his partner hunkered down, as if ready to battle. It brought into sharp relief the state of his clothes: entirely black clothing that was ripped and torn in places, with only a red pack at his waist appearing to be undamaged. "Your Greninja and Pikachu look strong. So, what do you say?"

"Sounds like a deal to me! How do we want to do this?" Ash said, putting his fist up in acceptance of the challenge. Pikachu leapt forward, landing on the ground and looking up fiercely into the eyes of the new Pokémon.

"How's three-on-three sound? That way, we can really test each other," the boy said, a slight smirk on his face as his free hand moved up, clenching his fingers and brushing some of his bangs aside. Ash stopped, and then his shoulders sagged. The boy looked at him curiously.

"Uh…I don't have three Pokémon on me," he chuckled out. "Sorry…I just got here, so…"

The boy stopped tossing his pokeball, watching Ash for just a second longer. He looked disappointed, a fact which seeped into his following sigh. "Of course…you finally find a trainer who's strong and he just happens to only have two Pokémon."

"We could still go one-on-one. Pikachu against your…uh…" Ash wasn't sure what to call it, and he looked to the boy for answers. The boy didn't give him one right away. Pikachu looked back at Ash curiously, like he did want to battle, but didn't know what to make of the situation.

"Don't bother," the boy finally sighed out, jerking his head down the way he came. "Let's go, Null. There's bound to be  _someone_  on this island we can battle with our full strength."

"Hey, we can still battle!" Ash called out to the boy, who was now suddenly turning his back to him. Said boy stopped a moment and then turned back with a disappointed look on his face.

"Maybe another time. I don't want to waste my time if all my Pokémon can't get stronger battling," the boy answered, and before Ash could get another word in edgewise, he was walking off. Ash thought about yelling after him, watching the boy disappear behind the two men from earlier that were now walking in his own direction, but thought better of it. Folding his arms a little, Ash thought about the brief encounter.

"That was weird, huh, Pikachu?" Ash asked. Pikachu returned to his shoulder, looking just as put out as his trainer, in order to nod. "I mean, he just showed up and left…whoever he was."

"Pika…" Pikachu agreed, nodding sagely. Ash continued to frown with his folded arms. Soon, the strangeness turned to keen disappointment. He had actually wanted to battle the guy! Still, the guy had a point.

"Oh well, if we run into him again, we'll just make sure to have another partner, right?"

"Chu!" Pikachu agreed. Setting his mind on catching his first Pokémon in Alola before they met with the trainer, or indeed, any other trainer, Ash pumped his legs forward, determined to return to the Pokémon Center. He hoped Serena hadn't beaten him there yet; he didn't want her to worry that he was lost or something (which, he realized with some sweat, was very possible in a new locale).

"All right, let's get going!"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out and they picked up their speed, running right towards the still slowly walking men from earlier. One of them raised his hand, as if in greeting. Ash raised his own hand to greet the man back as he ran on.

"Alola, cousin!" Ash suddenly stopped, tripping over his feet, only to be caught by the same man's hand. "Whoa, there, sorry to startle you!"

"C-cousin?" Ash blurted out, the surprise over the all too odd statement catching him off guard. Righting himself, Ash looked at the man who had said it, and in just a few seconds, had decided this man was most definitely  _not_  his cousin. "Um…do I know you?"

"Not at all!" the man said, grinning at him. Ash breathed in relief; at least he wasn't crazy. Feeling a little better about his sanity and relations, Ash looked at the two men that had now stopped. The one that had caught him was a younger man, probably the age of his mother or younger, wearing a hat and green shades. More odd than that was the open lab coat that exposed his upper chest. The man next to him was far more conservative in his state of dress, though his pink hair happened to throw Ash off a little bit.

"Oh…okay, then," Ash finally chuckled out after his initial assessment of the two of them. "Thanks for catching me, but I gotta get going!"

"Whoa, whoa, no rush, cousin!" the lab coat man said. Ash frowned a little; he really didn't want to keep the others waiting. "We just wanted to talk."

"Oh…well, then, why don't you come with me? I gotta get to the Pokémon Center and meet my friends!" Ash suggested. Pikachu also seemed to agree with this notion. Lab Coat Man looked to his companion, clearly a soft-spoken man, who simply shrugged.

"Sure thing, Ash. We've got lots to talk about, after all!" Lab Coat Man said with a grin. Ash, who had been prepared to step off, halted his movements and turned to the man, feeling both suspicious and slightly creeped out.

"Okay…are you sure I don't know you? 'Cause the last time someone I didn't know, knew me by name…" He trailed off, his thoughts and memories flashing back to his father in the stadium hallways. Lab Coat Man laughed before extending his hand out, his eyes sparkling effervescently.

"Right, sorry. Name's Kukui, cousin. Professor Oak and Champion Diantha gave me a call, said a strong trainer with a Greninja and a Pikachu would be showing up, and then you came along," the man, Kukui, said. Ash looked at his hand a moment, now feeling a little better about the man knowing his name; if it had come from two people he knew, then the man had to be a good person. Smiling, he reached forward and clasped his hand in greeting. "Been looking for you, Ash Ketchum, so I'm glad we could meet this quickly, even if it was a totally wild chance!"

"Same here, I think," Ash laughed out. For a moment, he completely forgot about getting to the Pokémon Center. And when Kukui leaned in and asked his next question, all thoughts of it flew out the window, replaced by his insatiable sense of curiosity.

"Then how would you like to take part in the Island Trials?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: A lot happened in this chapter…again. But it set up a lot! Our heroes have arrived in Alola, Ash has had a (hilarious) encounter with Team Skull, and met a mysterious boy with a mysterious Pokémon as well as Kukui. Meanwhile, Serena met Miss Akela and two other girls. What's Clemont up to? More on that next chapter. Now, you're probably wondering just why I had the gang split up right upon arrival. Two reasons: 1) Ash is super curious and energetic and would totally run off on his own and 2) it would have seemed weird for everyone to be there for everything. I only hope it all flowed naturally. I tried to make it so.
> 
> Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed this first taste of Alola, because next chapter I really start to ramp it up in terms of the plot!
> 
> I'm so glad to have all of you following me on this journey. Until next time, I'd love to see you all Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	3. An Owl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kind of nice to be back on my usual schedule, though at the same time incredibly stressful, ha ha. Oh well, hoping this chapter is enjoyable for you: Chapter 3!

Chapter 3

An Owl

"Island Trials?" The words tumbled from Ash's lips in a mess of total confusion. All thought of making it to the Pokémon Center was suddenly pushed to the back burner in light of this development. The excitement automatically imbued his body with energy. Even if he had no idea what Kukui was talking about, or who the man next to him was, it didn't mean a thing. "What're those?"

"You interested?" Kukui asked, a grin on his face. This one was particularly infectious, and Ash found his own stretching his face. He looked to Pikachu, who also seemed to be intrigued, judging by the way his fur stood up on end.

"You bet!" Ash said in response. "Trying new things is always exciting. Does it involve battles?"

"It does," answered the man next to Kukui. He was more soft-spoken than his companion, a thing made obvious from the way he was dressed in slacks and a sweater vest. At least Ash was glad he had managed to discern that he was a guy correctly (judging from his voice); the last time he'd done that had been too embarrassing in hindsight. "I'm Ilima, captain of the trial on Melemele Island."

"Captain of the trail on…huh…?" Ash sounded out, getting slightly confused by the terms being hurled at him. He'd been in Alola for all of an hour and already he was getting bombarded with information. Kukui appeared to catch notice of this and began to laugh heartily, but Ash could tell that the man wasn't making fun of him. Looking at him, his face was too full of pure mirth to be condescending. Kukui raised his hand to briefly remove his white cap and Ash noticed the ring on his finger, but wrote it off.

"Must sound pretty confusing to someone who's not from Alola," the professor said. He placed his cap back on his head, but continued to grin. "How about we discuss it over some lunch?"

"That sounds great!" Ash commented. He was starting to feel rather peckish.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu suddenly said to him in warning. Hearing his best buddy snap at him reminded Ash of where he was supposed to be, and  _who_  he was supposed to be with.

"Ah, no! I forgot!" Ash said, turning to face the two men. "Um, I'd really like to know more about these trials, but I have to go meet up with my friends! They're waiting for me, and I promised."

"Not a problem, cousin," Kukui said, waving his hand nonchalantly. The man was so at ease that it put Ash, himself, at ease. For a second, he had to wonder if the guy was actually a professor, or if he was just pulling his leg. Remembering the fact that he knew both Professor Oak and Diantha, however, he chose to accept it as fact. "Heck, how's this sound: I gotta run to the lab, so you and your friends have lunch with Ilima here and we'll talk after. Champion Diantha had a lot of great things to say about you, cousin."

"Um…okay…yeah, sure," Ash agreed, still feeling like he was just a little pressured and on edge to get back to his friends. He looked to Pikachu, who seemed to agree with the notion. Before Ash could stop him, Kukui reached forward and clasped Ash on the shoulder with a grin once more.

"We'll meet up soon, then!" the tanned man said, removing his hand and waving it while he walked down the road. "Get him caught up on everything, Ilima!"

"Of course," Ilima replied, his relaxed facial expression not changing in the least. Ash blinked, watching Kukui disappearing down the streets before rubbing the back of his head. It was one encounter after another in Alola. "Shall we?"

"Oh…sure," Ash said, continuing to rub the back of his head in embarrassment at the prompting. Ilima just smiled softly at him, and moved his hand to indicate for Ash to lead the way. Knowing he wasn't as familiar with the streets of Hau'oli City as the man, Ash still decided to take the lead, though perhaps slower than he had before. "So…what are these Island Trials? I mean, I just got here in Alola, and now I'm real curious."

"That's a topic best saved for lunchtime," Ilima said. Ash pouted a little, but decided to not put up a fuss; Ilima was clearly the type who only spoke when he needed to.

"Oh, all right. Probably for the best," Ash admitted, tossing his hands behind his head as he walked, turning the corner to once more pass by the café from earlier. Ilima was now standing at his side and Ash took a glance at him. He seemed to walk with a certain self-assured poise that belied strength. He didn't need to see the man's Pokémon, or even watch him in a battle. For some reason, Ash already knew that he was a strong trainer, likely befitting of the title of "captain", whatever that was. It sounded like something akin to a Gym Leader, but until Ilima would fill him in, he had no idea. He  _did_ know how excited it made him. Beyond that, though, it was curiosity taking hold of him, especially when Ilima's hand suddenly glinted in the sunlight, offering Ash a glimpse of a large bracelet or ring of some sort around his wrist.

He thought to ask what it was, but the duo had arrived outside the Pokémon Center and subsequently stepped inside. Pikachu instantly leapt off his shoulder and ran for the three sitting in a corner of the place.

" _There_  you are, Ash!" The raven-haired trainer stopped and chuckled at the sound of his girlfriend's kind, but chastising, voice. "We were supposed to meet here fifteen minutes ago, you know?"

"Sorry, Serena, I got held up," Ash chuckled out, only to stop short at the sight of Serena with her hands on her hips. He swallowed. Usually, Serena wasn't one for scolding, so to see her doing so instantly frightened him. "I was just a little late…"

"I know, Ash, but I don't want us to be unable to find each other on our first day in a new region," she told him. Ash had to admit that she had a point. At this moment, Serena also seemed to look past him, no doubt noticing Ilima. A smile found its way back on to her face. "Who's this?"

"Ilima," the man answered for himself, stepping forward and offering a light, yet courteous, bow. Clemont and Bonnie stood from where they were sitting, and Ash stepped forward to join them, now facing the pinkette before him. "I'm a trial captain."

"Ooh, what's that?" Bonnie asked excitedly. Ash noticed she was wearing a hat now, and found it and the flower upon it suited her nicely. Ilima righted himself, still measuring his words, as he turned and motioned towards the exit from the Pokémon Center.

"If you'll permit to join me for lunch at the Pokémon School, I'll be more than happy to fill you in on some of the details. Though…well, I'll explain that later." Ash turned to look at Serena, almost like she'd give him permission to go, and noticed the very thoughtful expression on her face. It was almost like she was trying to put some pieces together. Ash's stomach grumbled loudly.

"That sounds like a lovely idea," Serena finally said, hiding her giggle behind her hand. Ash felt rather embarrassed, but laughed it off. Ilima once more bowed graciously and began to walk away from them. Bonnie and Clemont immediately went after him while Ash held out his hand for Serena to take, the two of them trailing right behind.

"A Pokémon School, huh?" Clemont was asking of the pinkette before them. "Are you a teacher there, Mr. Ilima?"

"Just Ilima is fine; some of you are not all that much younger from myself," Ilima answered politely. Ash found that fact surprising, but continued to listen to the conversation between the inventor and their new acquaintance. For a second, he looked to Serena, who appeared to have something she wanted to say to him, but held off in favor of all the other things happening. "And no, I'm not. Just a very popular graduate."

"Fascinating," Clemont nodded. Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I, myself, attended an institution at a younger age and it was quite an enriching experience. Though, I'll admit that I've learned more by traveling with Ash than I did in a school."

"Yes, a journey can be a wealth of experiences," Ilima noted. Ash had hardly noticed that they were covering distance quickly, already heading down the street that appeared to lead out of the city. "In a Pokémon School, there are many basics that one could learn: types, attacks, statuses. But there's something about being on the road that changes you and defines you like nothing else. It's the reason we have the Island Pilgrimage."

"Is the Island Pilgrimage the same thing as those Island Trials that Professor Kukui mentioned?" Ash blurted out, unable to stop himself. Ilima turned his head and smiled as their group of four managed to cross onto a far more worn road that looked to taper off into dirt. Set just beyond the concrete road, Ash could see a large building with a thatched roof. Outside it appeared to be a playground with numerous Pokémon gamboling around happily with younger kids.

"Somewhat," Ilima answered him before stopping. The entire group came to its halt, staring up at the impressive building before them. Just behind them, Ash could hear the sound of waves as they lapped against the coast and Serena tightened her hand. Somehow, he could feel her own excitement infusing him. "Welcome to the Pokémon School."

"Wow…it's so big! Is that a slide? What kind of Pokémon is that?" Bonnie cheered out excitedly, herself and Dedenne already tearing off for the playground.

"Ah! Bonnie, don't just run off like that!" Clemont yelled after his sister. He'd barely taken a step when Rotom shot out of his bag and went zipping after Bonnie with enthusiasm. "Not you, too, Rotom!"

"Roto-to-to-to!" Rotom laughed, suddenly infusing itself in a light over the playground. Some kids watched it play around with the brightness, laughing and clapping happily. Clemont sighed in exasperation and went to get his two wards under control. Ilima chuckled.

"You're quite the energetic group," he noted. Ash's stomach rumbled again, right alongside Pikachu's.

"And hungry!" Serena laughed gaily. "Guess we haven't had anything since breakfast, huh? And that was airline food."

"I'll go get something from the cafeteria," Ilima said. "There's some tables over there, if you'd like to wait for me."

"Thanks, Ilima," Ash said. The young man nodded and walked off with a brisk pace to the interior of the school. As he did so, Ash led Serena over to the tables that he had indicated, pulling out a chair for her on instinct. Serena took it gratefully and sat upon it, facing the direction of the playground, where it looked like Clemont was attempting to get control of Bonnie, only to be showcasing his inventions. The boys at the playground looked excited at that.

"So…I ran into someone in the city," Serena said suddenly. Ash turned his head, letting Pikachu off his shoulder and onto the table. "She invited me to something called the Leilani Ceremony."

"What's that?" Ash asked. He looked up briefly while Serena was contemplating her answer to see a pair of Wingull circling around. There was also another bird Pokémon that he didn't recognize circling the school, but he passed it off. Serena shook her head, putting her bag down on the ground and pulling out her tablet.

"I'm not sure. You know Miss Akela, of Akela Apparels?"

"No," was the rather straightforward answer. Serena nodded her head, like she should have expected that kind of response.

"I guess she…er…scouts?" Serena seemed to bite her tongue, thinking of the best way to explain to him what she knew. Ash found it looked rather adorable, but didn't say anything. "She scouts to find trainers to partake in this Leilani Ceremony…I think, at least. I don't know all the details quite yet, but the thought alone interested me."

"Go for it, then!" Ash said. Serena nodded once more and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. The sound of a door opening caught Ash's attention and he turned to look at Ilima emerging from the school building with a tray of food for the five of them. He wasn't alone; others had come out to obviously serve lunch to the kids. Overhead, a bell rang, no doubt signaling lunchtime. Serena had diverted her attention, staring almost wistfully at the kids that were now clustering. In the confusion, Clemont had managed to grab Bonnie while Rotom shot back into his backpack.

Despite his aching stomach, Ash decided to look at his girlfriend's wistful face. They had spent only a short time in Alola thus far, yet she already looked elsewhere. Maybe it had to do with that Leilani Ceremony, or perhaps she was just staring off into space at the gathering children. Either way, he wanted to quickly assure her that he was there, so he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Everything okay?" he asked. Serena almost jolted, gripping to her tablet.

"I'm fine, just thinking about things," she answered. As if to insist that she was fine, Serena opened her tablet and Ash craned over her shoulder to take a look. Displayed on the screen was a map of Melemele Island, zoomed out (or so it looked to Ash; he was never very good with maps). Serena touched her fingers to the screen and zoomed in, the screen now hovering over the school they were currently sitting at. "Looks like there's a town through the forest and hills over that way."

By "that way", Ash presumed she meant past the school ground and the city outskirts. This was proven true when Serena scrolled along to display the town on the map with the name "Iki Town". Having gotten a good look at it, she began scrolling elsewhere, landing on a location named Pua Town. She seemed to click on it and get absorbed in reading the information there when Ilima placed the tray on their table. At the same time, Clemont and Bonnie approached once more, the latter giggling. Seeing that Serena was  _still_  distracted, Ash put an arm around her.

"Don't worry, Serena," he told her. "No matter what you choose to do, I know you'll be great at it. That's why you came with me, right?"

"R-right! Ilima, do you know about the Leilani Ceremony?" she asked. The graduate looked up, his eyes crinkling with kindness.

"I have. It's simply another version of the Island Pilgrimage," he told her, seating himself down and crossing his legs. Ash finally caught sight of the plate of fruit resting on the table for them and he quickly swiped a melon piece for himself. "The Island Pilgrimage originally started as just the Island Trials, but…well, that was in a far different time. A far more violent time. Naturally, as the need for battle skills became less, and some trainers displayed inferior combat-oriented skills than others, the Kahunas at the time discussed changing the Island Pilgrimage."

"Kahunas?" Clemont asked, now seating himself down comfortably.

"They're like the island leaders…kind of. Some of them are just chosen people who could really care less about the governing aspect of things and just let the town mayors and people like Kukui handle the big business."

"So, Professor Kukui's not a…Ka…huna?" Ash asked, making sure to swallow before asking his question. Pikachu also grabbed a slice of pineapple and began gnawing away pleasantly.

"Not at all. He's respected very much, though," Ilima assured him. Ash could understand that; anyone in contact with Professor Oak and Diantha had to have some kind of clout with the important figures in life. "Anyway, since we didn't want people to feel that they  _had_  to master battling, in order to create more closeness with Pokémon, the Leilani Ceremony was formed. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was…invited to take part in one," Serena answered the young man. Ilima looked her up and down. He then gave a little chuckle.

"By Miss Akela, no doubt," he muttered. Serena looked surprised, and given her earlier musings, Ash had to figure he had hit it spot on. "Yes, she seems to look for people who would be a good fit for that path of the Island Pilgrimage. Especially since the Ali'i ka Leilani typically helps to celebrate those who pass the Island Trials…though, Kukui and Miss Akela have been working on something different for this year."

"So, does that mean the Island Trials have lots of battles?" Ash asked. It was only logical, in his mind, that if the path of the Leilani Ceremony was something more in line with Serena's skills, then the trials  _had_  to be more battle-oriented.

"Both technically have battles," Ilima elaborated, "but the trials are most assuredly designed to test a battler more than a non-combatant. I completed the trials myself when I was younger. All us captains did."

"So…a captain is someone who completed the trials?" Serena asked, now reaching for a piece of pineapple, herself. Ilima nodded. "Then, what about the…Ali'i ka Leilani? Are there captains for that?"

"Not really," he noted. Ash grabbed another piece of melon, continuing to watch Ilima and absorb his words. It was all rather fascinating, despite him not typically being one for listening. "I don't know all the specifics of the Leilani Ceremony. That's a question best put to the people who officiate it. I do know that, like the trials, it is meant to be a journey of self-discovery alongside one's Pokémon."

"Well, it sounds exciting enough, and like the kind of thing I'd want to do."

"I bet you could pick up a lot of great techniques to use in your Showcases," Clemont pointed out positively. Ash nodded, his mouth full, to indicate that he agreed with the inventor. Serena smiled, obviously grateful for their support. To that, Ash smiled, and decided to ask about his own interests.

"So, how are these trials done? How many are there? Is there a competition?" Ash's questions came off rapid-fire and Serena laughed next to him. Ash grinned at her before waiting for Ilima to answer. The young man bounced his leg a little, as if contemplating how to best answer the question.

"The trials, as I said, is a test of mind, body, and spirit," Ilima explained, "designed to test and push trainers to their limits. There are seven. Seven trials, all different, complete with a battle. Each is designed by its own captain. When you've completed an island's trials, you're allowed to face the Grand Trial: a battle against the Kahuna of the island. In order to officially clear the Island Pilgrimage through the trials, you need to defeat the four Kahunas."

"That definitely sounds like something Ash would like to do," Clemont observed. At his words, Ash stood up confidently. Clemont saw this and decided to clearly get his words out before Ash's energy could take over. "And I'll definitely come along!"

"Yeah! With you guys on my side, Pikachu and I can take on anything! Right, buddy?" Ash exclaimed, putting his hand on the table. Serena rolled her eyes at him and tugged on his vest to seat him once again. Thanking her for helping him rein in his excitement, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Ilima raised an eyebrow at that.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, his cry echoing around the verdant school grounds. That cry of approval seemed to have been heard quite keenly by the children getting their lunch, because Ash suddenly saw one of them bound up.

"Look! It's a Pikachu!" she yelled happily. All the other kids around her seemed to look at where she was pointing. None of them made a move to rush them, but from the slightly pleading expressions, Ash could tell they wanted to play. He smiled and nudged Pikachu a little.

"Why don't you go play with them, buddy?" he said. Pikachu nuzzled his hand a little and then dashed away from the table. The children all looked beyond excited at Pikachu approaching them and they gathered around him. Serena turned to Ash and bumped against him with her shoulder, before sliding down and clasping her hand in his. "So…if you're a captain, could we have a trial right here and now?"

"Afraid not," Ilima answered him. Ash instantly deflated from that, causing Serena to reach across and pat him on the back consolingly. He didn't say it aloud, but it made him feel better. "The Island Trial must always start with getting the trial amulet from the Kahuna on the island you're starting at. In this case, that'd be Hala over in Iki Town."

"Hala…" Ash breathed out. Naturally, he didn't like the prospect of not being able to start right away, but at the same time understood that the people in Alola clearly liked to observe traditions. That was just fine with him. "So, I need to see this Hala to get started on the trial?"

"More or less," was Ilima's response. He then looked down at his wrist, and Ash once more noticed the large, sparkling wristband and what seemed to be a glittering white powder on its top. Next to it was a watch that Ilima was checking. "We'll go see Hala tonight after the 'festival'. He's giving a new trainer their first Pokémon, and I'm sure he'll be more than willing to grant you permission. Iki Town isn't that far, so we can leave at sundown."

"Sounds awesome, then," Ash laughed out, reaching for another piece of fruit, only to find that the platter had been emptied. He frowned, knowing that he was still hungry. He turned to his girlfriend with saddened eyes. "Serena, do you have any macarons?"

"Chespin?" cried out a voice before Serena could even answer. Ash turned his head to see that Clemont's Chespin had come out of his pokeball, mouth watering at the thought of having Serena's macarons. Ash almost glared at the Spiny Nut Pokémon, wanting him to back off, but now Serena was able to get her words out.

"Don't worry. I made enough for everyone until I can get to an oven," Serena admitted, digging into her bag and pulling out the basket of the sweet pastry. Chespin began to rub his hands together. As soon as Serena had placed the basket on the table, Chespin made a beeline for it. Not wanting to get in his way, Ash sat back a little, watching the kids (now joined by Bonnie and Dedenne) playing with Pikachu, who was being rather accommodating. He wasn't alone, however. There was another Pokémon with them: the one that Ash had seen circling the school earlier. Now that it was on the ground, he could see more features of the little round bird, who was turning its head in curiosity. Ash's eyes widened as he watched it turn at a ninety-degree angle before it hooted a little.

Ash turned his own head, looking at it, and the little bird appeared to catch him staring. It's big eyes, inquisitive and innocent, looked at him with interest. It turned its head around as a kid tried to come up to pet it, almost turning its body or head completely around. The little bird was such a fascinating Pokémon, especially when it turned back and continued to look at him. Ash found his free hand twitching, as though wanting to reach for a pokeball.

"Pin pin!" Chespin finally cried out, slumping upon the table after having eaten his share of macarons. Clemont sighed liberally.

"Chespin, we really need to get you on a diet while we're in Alola," Clemont told his Pokémon. Chespin didn't seem to care. He also didn't seem to care that he'd left behind only three lone macarons for everyone else. Frowning over the lack of sweets, Ash reached forward to take one.

"Kuuuuu!" cried a sudden voice. Ash looked up just in time to see the bird from earlier come soaring over. The blast from its tiny wings knocked Clemont back, only for the boy to be caught by Serena. In mere seconds, the owl had latched onto the macaron basket.

"Hey! Those are ours!" Ash said to the feisty creature. The owl turned its head in curiosity; it was almost unsettling, though Ash had to admit that it was a little adorable.

"Kuroh?" it hooted out. Ash narrowed his eyes, wondering what move the little owl was going to make. Would it let go of the macarons or…?

"If you wanted some, all you had to do was ask." The owl continued to look at Ash a moment longer before he saw it slowly let go of the macaron basket. Then its head snapped back upright as quick as could be.

"Roh!" it shouted fiercely. Before Ash had a chance to stop it, the owl twisted in midair, talons aimed right for his face with surprising speed. It slammed into him, knocking him over and to the ground. Ash barely rolled off his chair in time to see that the owl had reappeared on top of the macaron case with lightning speed, nabbing ahold of it and flapping its wings.

"Ches?" Chespin cried out, nearly being bowled over by the force of the wing flaps. He managed to stay holding on as the bird flapped up into the air and tried to shoot off for the forest that seemed to lead to Iki Town. Ash rolled onto the ground, prepared to spring back up as he saw Chespin's vines shoot out and hold the owl in place. "Pin…pinpin ches!"

"Kuh?" the owl hooted out before spinning in midair and shooting down, its beak glowing brightly as it slammed into Chespin, subsequently hitting him into Clemont. The vines let go and the owl shot back off for the forest once again. Ash watched it go, the bird turning its head back to look at him only once. He grinned.

"Pikachu, let's go!" Ash called out. Serena stared at him wildly.

"Go where?" she asked, standing up quickly as well. She bent down, making sure to pick Clemont and Chespin up from their place on the ground, glasses askew. Ash slung his backpack over his shoulder as he heard the groans of the kids that were sad to see Pikachu go. Bonnie was right behind his best friend, holding on to her hat.

"I'm gonna catch it," Ash answered her with a grin. "Sorry, Ilima, but I'll be back as soon as I have." Ilima stared at him in amusement before waving his left hand nonchalantly.

"Good luck," he stated. Ash tossed him a thumbs up and turned to run after the speeding bird. He only made it a few steps before Ilima's voice called him back one more time. "I'll tell Kukui where you've gone, in case he gets back. Oh…and it's called a Rowlet."

"Rowlet…" Ash mouthed, feeling the name of the Pokémon on his tongue. Then he grinned again. "Thanks, Ilima! Let's catch that Rowlet!"

"Pipikachu!" Pikachu cried and Ash tore off into the forest. He could hear Serena breathing behind him, meaning that despite his hasty departure, she was keeping pace with him. A quick glance back told him it wasn't quite the same for Clemont, who Bonnie and Dedenne were pushing forward with all their might. Apologizing in his mind towards his friend, Ash pushed on after the Rowlet, who was leaving behind a trail of leaves in its wake. Not that it was easy to tell; had they been a few seconds later, he wouldn't have found them.

"Ash…is there a reason…you want to catch this…Rowlet?" Serena breathed out as she managed to catch up to him and run at his side. He was surprised at her immense fortitude, and it seemed that even Clemont was catching up.

"Did you see how fast it moved? It was super cool!" Ash informed her. She seemed to accept this as a legitimate reason for wanting it, because she nodded. At this point, a bright light was shining, and Ash could see that they were reaching the edge of the forest. He lowered his head and proceeded to charge straight ahead with gusto, breaking out of the woods. Now outside of them, Ash pulled to a stop on the dirt path. "Pikachu, do you see it anywhere?"

"Pi…ka…" Pikachu said, his head swiveling back and forth as he looked for the rogue Rowlet. Ash, too, peered through the shining sun, hoping to spot the little bird with the macaron basket. Clemont finally caught up, less short of breath than usual, but still huffing and puffing. As he and Bonnie did so, Serena tapped Ash on the shoulder.

"There," she stated. Ash followed her hand and noticed the small shape that was fluttering down towards a town at the top of the hill. In thanks, Ash grasped the moment and kissed her before running after the owl. He turned slightly with the dirt road, all of it leading him towards the area he was trying to reach. Wooden slats and steps were now occupying the road as it started to slope upward, guiding their way towards the town. As Ash ran up the path, he noticed various stone statues, carved and engraved. A rush of energy flowed over him, and Ash felt like he was entering some kind of holy ground.

Glancing down the hill, he noticed Serena and Bonnie helping Clemont up it. When Serena looked up at him, she sent him a wink that told him to keep going no matter what. He smiled and nodded, now jumping up the wooden steps. Finally reaching the top of the hill, Ash noticed that there was a large wooden arch hanging over head, words emblazoned upon it: "Iki Town". More excitement entered him. This was where Ilima had said the man, Hala, was…and now Rowlet was inside.

Grinning towards Pikachu, the duo entered the town. The first thing Ash caught note of were the wooden homes, built sturdy and strong. It was almost like entering a field of log cabins. Numerous people were outside, sweeping their porches or otherwise carrying things to and fro. Rotating as he walked through the town, Ash cast his gaze around, looking for the little Rowlet that had taken his macaron case. As he did so, Ash caught sight of a large wooden platform, intricate details painted onto its surface, standing in the middle of the town. A heavyset man was to the side of the platform, his bright yellow shirt standing out in the crowd around the platform. On the platform, itself, was a tanned boy, and two Pokémon that Ash didn't recognize.

Ash slowed his pace, still looking for the little Rowlet, but soon had his attention broken by what was taking place on the stage. Almost running into a citizen of the town, Ash stopped to watch. The young boy tentatively approached the two Pokémon on the stage with him. It seemed tentative, like a starting point, reminding Ash of when he and Pikachu had met. That made him smile. Of telling Pikachu his dream, and after the ups and downs (and near death) agreeing to pursue it together. Seeing that new beginning was a fulfilling experience, especially as what looked like a Water type slowly inched along the stage until the boy grabbed it, holding it up with a smile. Suddenly, the crowd cheered and applauded, like it was this huge thing. The cat on the stage looked a little despondent, but nevertheless slunk off to a large home on the side of this square. Ash just blinked; clearly choosing one's first Pokémon in Alola was a huge endeavor.

Adults in the square converged on the boy, ruffling his hair and congratulating him. Ash just stepped forward in a daze. That was when he noticed Rowlet fluttering down, straight towards the heavyset man who turned his head as the little owl landed on his arm, gripping tight. In profile, Ash could see the man's tanned complexion (something he was starting to realize was rather commonplace in the region) contrasting with his white hair and bushy mustache.

"There you are, Rowlet," the man rumbled out, his voice gruff but kind. Ash slowly approached the man as the path to him cleared. "Let me guess, out collecting food? You'll never find a trainer if you keep causing trouble for people like that."

"Koo?" Rowlet turned its head at its right angle before bringing it back. Then it hopped a little on the man's shoulder and turned its head to the other side, staring at Ash. The raven-haired trainer stopped in his tracks, looking right back at Rowlet. Pikachu did the same, and Ash knew that he could feel exactly what Ash was thinking. That Rowlet was special. Maybe not in the same way Greninja had turned out to be, but Ash had the distinct feeling that he was meant to meet Rowlet. Slowly, he reached out a hand, drawing closer with every step. The man turned. Ash stopped.

"Oh…?" the man said. Ash looked up at him, but didn't retract his hand. He simply watched the man's face, and his closed, serene eyes. After a moment, the man opened one of his eyes to peer down at him. The gaze from that eye slowly shifted over to Pikachu. Then he looked to Rowlet. "I see."

"Uh…see what?" Ash asked. Rowlet continued turning its head back and forth, looking like it was taking in all of its surroundings, just in case it could sense danger.

"Rowlet…you've met this trainer?" the man asked, ignoring Ash's question for a second. Rowlet's wings opened up, revealing its green-tipped plumage.

"Roh! Kuroh!" Rowlet hooted out, and Ash could hear…happiness. It was like it had wanted him to be here. Like it had lured him here. The man suddenly smiled, and then gave a booming laugh, his belly shaking with absolute mirth. As he did so, the sleeve of his yellow shirt slid up, revealing the same ring that had been present on Ilima's wrist.

"Um, what's going on here?" Ash asked, utterly surprised by the man's reaction. When he finally stopped laughing, he turned to face Ash fully. Rowlet took to the air, flapping around at a quick speed before zipping downward. Ash whipped around, wondering where it had gone until he felt a sudden movement in his backpack.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out, and Ash noticed him looking downward in shock. Ash quickly slipped his backpack off, and to his surprise, there was Rowlet, resting comfortably in the confines of it. It appeared to be sleeping, judging by its closed eyes and resting state. For a moment, Ash considered waking it, but that was soon disregarded by the man speaking to him. Ash turned back to him, catching a glimpse of his friends finally finishing their ascent up the hill, though their group looked bigger than before.

"Looks like our little Rowlet enjoys your company," the man laughed out. "All that time searching for a trainer for this little one, and he picks someone who hasn't even come to choose a Pokémon from ol' Hala. At least, I'd assume you haven't. You don't look like some new sprout, just beginning to walk in the world. There's seasoning behind your eyes."

"Oh, thanks, I guess," Ash said, taking another peek at the Rowlet resting comfortably in the bag. "How could you tell?"

"Your eyes, young man! Your eyes!" the older man said, and then he extended his hand outward. "I'm Hala, Kahuna of Melemele Island."

Ash's mouth stretched to a grin and his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he reached forward and clasped Hala's hand, shaking it eagerly. "My name's Ash Ketchum, and this is my partner, Pikachu."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu greeted the Kahuna. Said man smiled down at the two of them, his eyes crinkling with gentleness. He let go of Ash's hand and reached over to pet Pikachu's fur. "Chaaa…"

"Your Pikachu looks quite well taken care of," Hala chuckled out. "Reminds me of my grandson's, though his is perhaps not quite so experienced." Ash tilted his head, much like Rowlet had. His mouth opened to ask a question of the Kahuna, but Hala's booming voice cut out that opportunity. "Kukui, you didn't tell me the boy would be arriving so early!"

"He wasn't supposed to, cousin!" Ash turned, now seeing that his earlier observation wasn't incorrect. His friends hadn't been alone, as Kukui seemed to have traveled up to Iki Town with them. Kukui quickly looked at Ash and winked at him. "Guess you just couldn't help yourself, huh, Ash?"

"Sorry, I just-"

"Did you catch up to it, Ash?" Bonnie suddenly interjected, jumping forward. Ash nearly dropped his backpack, but Rowlet kept on sleeping inside. "That cute Rowlet?"

"Uh…yeah," Ash nodded before holding his backpack out. Serena leaned over, catching sight of the sleeping owl. She giggled.

"So…it's just like you, then: eat, sleep, train?" his girlfriend noted with a laugh. Now that Ash thought about it, he realized that she was right. Or…hoped she was right. While the first two were easily confirmable, there had not yet been a sign that Rowlet trained as hard as he tended to with his team.

"Anyway, sorry for running on ahead. I didn't mean to interrupt at all," Ash told them all, gripping his backpack a little closer to his chest. The crowds surrounding the young boy had begun to disperse and said boy was walking away from the platform with two people Ash assumed were his parents. "I didn't expect Rowlet to come here."

"Nah, it's all right, cousin," Kukui laughed out. Hala seemed to join him in the action. "Just a good thing I ran into your friends. I can get a little turned around whenever my assistant isn't here, and I haven't seen her since this morning, ha ha."

"Super good thing!" Bonnie said. Clemont was the only one not speaking, clearly suffering from his loss of stamina in climbing up the hill. Ash turned to look at Bonnie, who bent down to pick up a Pokémon that was at the professor's side. "Look at this cutie! Her name is Rockruff!"

"Ruff!" Ash looked down to the small Pokémon now in Bonnie's arms. It looked like a little puppy, only with small stones adorned around its collar. Bonnie nuzzled against it happily and Rockruff appeared to return the affection. Kukui stepped forward, and Ash noticed he was holding something in his hands: a large, red device that looked similar to the Pokédex.

"Well, it seems you've met old man Hala," he commented. Hala appeared to huff, but let the vague insult roll off him. Ash nodded. In response to that, Kukui placed the device under his armpit and clapped his hands together. "Great! Then I guess we can get this all started earlier than we thought!"

"Get what…started?" Clemont finally wheezed out, seeming to recover. Kukui turned to him with the grin that Ash was certain was almost perpetually on most Alolan's faces.

"The Island Trials, of course."

"You're so impatient, Kukui," Hala suddenly chastised the younger man. "I know you like setting trainers on their paths quickly, but sometimes we need to take the time and sit. Like Rowlet. He's sleeping without a care in the world. He'll wake when it's time. All of nature moves according to its own schedule. That sort of patience is something you  _should_  take from your assistant, bless her soul."

"Ah, come on, Master Hala, it's not like he can start the trials  _here_ ," Kukui laughed out. Hala appeared to frown at Kukui's words and, for a brief moment, Ash thought that he could sense some tension between the professor and the Kahuna. Serena drew closer while their little stalemate occurred, and reached over to Ash's bag, petting Rowlet on the head. The tiny owl stirred and looked up at both Ash and Serena. He made no reaction for a moment before hooting happily and shooting out of the bag once again. "See, even Rowlet is excited to start the trials."

" _Rowlet_  is not yet one of this young man's Pokémon," Hala reminded him. It even reminded Ash; Rowlet had seemed so comfortable inside his bag, it was almost like he  _was_  his. Though, more than that, it sparked the wondering in Ash's brain.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Ash started, breaking the stare-off, "you mentioned that Rowlet wasn't able to find a trainer? Why? I mean, I know of it and all. My Greninja had a hard time finding a trainer until I came along, but…it's not common, right?"

"Hmmm…" Hala mused. He appeared to be surveying Ash a moment before grunting. Hala jerked his head in the direction of the large house, most particularly towards the table and chairs that sat on the porch. All of them quickly got the message. Once more bringing his backpack on his shoulders as he watched Rowlet fly around, their group of five walked forward to join Hala at the table presented.

It felt a little different from their chairs at the Pokémon School, but in an exciting way. From where they sat now, Ash could see into what he presumed was Hala's house, the furnishings very simple and orderly. There were some stacks of papers sitting around on a desk, and on a ledge above the desk were those same odd rings he had seen on both Hala and Ilima. When they were all seated, Clemont most thankfully, Hala began to speak.

"Rowlet has been with me since he was but an egg," the old man explained, stroking at his mustache a little. Kukui sat next to him, propping his legs up on the table and placing his device down. Ash gave a brief look before returning his gaze to Hala. "Upon hatching, that little bird ate up almost my entire fridge. I thought, at the time, that it was merely the hunger of a newly hatched baby…but Rowlet never stopped. He ate, and ate, and ate…Eventually, little Rowlet became known as quite the little glutton around the island. A fine trait…except for when you're given to inexperienced trainers. It didn't help that as Rowlet grew and grew, he became stronger and stronger. Those talons aren't just for show."

"Yeah, I noticed…" Ash said breathlessly. He turned around in his seat to look at the little owl, now fluttering down to the porch to take yet another rest. "They were really strong. I'm surprised no other trainer would choose him."

"Perhaps it's not accurate to say no trainer would choose him so much as it is I wouldn't  _let_  any trainer choose him," Hala mused out, continually stroking his mustache. "Rowlet is a fine Pokémon, don't get me wrong, but between his gluttony and narcoleptic fits, he's simply too much to handle for a new trainer. Most of the other Rowlet I've raised to give to new trainers at our mini 'festivals' were never as much of a handful."

"So, you're the one who gives out Pokémon to new trainers?" Serena asked from her place next to Ash. "What kind are there? Other than Rowlet, I mean?"

"Hmmm…" Hala once more said, opening his eyes a crack to peer at her. He soon laughed a little and looked towards Kukui, who took his legs off the table to suddenly slide the red device over to Ash.

"Hala does give Pokémon to the new trainers just starting their adventures or Island Pilgrimage," Kukui noted, removing his glasses from his face. He then leaned across the table and tapped the device. "And if you want to know more, I suggest you give this a try."

"It's a Pokédex, right?" Ash asked. Kukui nodded, confirming his earlier suspicions. Interested by the design, Ash picked the device up and touched what appeared to be a blank screen. Serena, Bonnie and Clemont all leaned in, interested to see the device's functions…only nothing happened. "I think it's broken."

"Ho ho!" Hala boomed out, clearly finding the situation somewhat amusing. "Not at all!"

"Clemont," Kukui spoke, and it was obvious to Ash that he had personally introduced himself to all his friends earlier, "I believe Professor Oak said that a Rotom was traveling with you. If you'd like to come out cousin, I think this is one device you'll  _really_  like."

The entire group looked up in shock at that one. It seemed almost impossible, like a fantasy or something. Had Kukui truly just said he'd developed a Pokédex for Rotom to  _live_  in? Backing away from the Pokédex as Rotom shot out of Clemont's pack with its usual laugh, the quartet stared at the device on the table. Bonnie gripped Rockruff, who was almost growling a little (though Ash wasn't sure if it was just trying to hide its fear). Rotom continued to zap around for a few seconds, startling Rowlet out of its sleep, before slamming into the Pokédex.

A brief second passed with nothing happening.

Then the Pokédex began to twitch. From the sides, arms sprouted. From the bottom were stubby little legs. Then it rose up into the air as a mischievous little face, one all too familiar from the times Rotom had possessed something, splayed itself across the surface of the screen.

"Wow…" Serena said, almost like she forgot to breathe. Ash looked across the table to Clemont, the most-wide eyed expression on his face. He soon cast his gaze over to Ash and they both grinned wildly, speaking at the same exact time.

"Science is so amazing!" they both screamed. Kukui laughed.

"Boys, say hello to the Rotomdex, the first fully autonomous Pokédex!" Kukui chuckled out, and even Hala seemed to find the amusement in all of it. "How does it feel in there Rotom?"

"Roto-to?" Rotom asked, turning around to face Kukui before once more swiveling to face Ash, who could do nothing but stare at it. "Rotom feels great! Like a new Rotom!"

"Rotom also seems to speak in third-person…" commented Bonnie, sounding a little underwhelmed.

"So have you sometimes," Clemont corrected her. He, on the other hand, continued to stare adoringly up at Rotom. "Look at you, Rotom! A Pokédex and a Pokémon in one! And it doesn't cause harm to either?"

"Not in the slightest," Kukui told the inventor. "Though, why don't you have Rotom itself tell you that."

"Okay," Ash said, nodding. Pikachu and Dedenne had now come onto the table, both lifting their tails up to greet Rotom in its new form. Sharing their electricity between each other, Pikachu and Dedenne's cheeks sparked a little in happiness. "So…you can talk to us in human language and…examine Pokémon?"

"Yes!" Rotom said proudly, touching its arm to its screen. "Rotom can do all that and more!"

"Ooh! Ooh, can you read Pikachu, then?" Bonnie asked excitedly. Rotom spun around rapidly, almost like it was doing a little dance before settling on Pikachu, taking a picture of him with his head cocked to the side. As soon as the picture popped up, so too did a catalog of the Pikachu evolutionary line.

"Pikachu, Mouse Pokémon. It's in its nature to store electricity. It feels stressed now and then if it's unable to fully discharge the electricity," Rotom spoke. Ash stood from his chair, brimming with utmost excitement.

"What else can you do now, Rotom?"

"Rotom can catalogue all existing species of Pokémon in picture form as well as compile data on them, with a convenient, if not detailed, map," Rotom said. Clemont now stood while Serena rolled her eyes between them. Ash ignored her; she may have been his girlfriend, but it was obvious how little she understood when it came to how amazing science was. "For example, Rotom's data says that the three Pokémon given to beginner trainers in the region are Litten, a Fire type Pokémon, Popplio, a Water type Pokémon, and Rowlet, a Grass type Pokémon."

"And there you have it, cousin," Kukui said, almost sounding rather pleased with himself. Ash turned looking towards the now awake Rowlet, his head turning curiously as he stared at their group.

"What does your data say on Rowlet?" Ash asked eagerly. Rotom now floated down, looking at Rowlet, who surveyed it curiously. It took a picture and then came back up to Ash. In the flash of a second before Rotom answered, Ash could swear that it saw Rotom's telltale smirk.

"Rowlet, Grass Quill Pokémon. Silently it glides, drawing near its targets. Before they even notice it, it begins to pelt them with vicious kicks," Rotom spoke. Ash stared at it blankly.

"That's creepy…" Bonnie drawled.

"Rotom is only giving pertinent information," it spoke to her. Bonnie glared at the device. "This makes Rotom very excited! Rotom has wanted to travel and see new Pokémon! Rotom has really wanted to play tr…er…play with Pokémon, roto."

"Play with them…sure…" Serena said skeptically. Ash didn't blame her. In the six months since they had been resting in Pallet Town, Serena, Bonnie and Clemont had a better than good idea of just how much a trickster Rotom could be. It seemed from its rather dry and dark humor that its personality inside the Pokédex hadn't changed. Not that Ash minded. Rotom was along for the ride either way, and he was happy to have it on his side. Looking past him to the ever-curious Rowlet, Ash remembered what Hala had said about the unfortunate bird.

There was only one thing left for it.

Ash pushed his chair aside and walked to the edge of Hala's porch, where Rowlet was still staring at him curiously. He wasn't alone, as Pikachu soon joined him, and he kneeled down to be level with the little bird.

"Roh?" Rowlet asked. Ash reached out and ruffled his feathers, feeling their softness beneath his fingers.

"So, you haven't been able to find a trainer, huh?" Ash asked. Rowlet didn't respond, preferring to stare up at him. Ash smiled. "Then, how would you like to come with me and Pikachu? I think you're a really awesome Pokémon that's fast and strong. And eating's no problem! Serena's an awesome cook, and so is Clemont. They keep me fed all the time!"

"Kuroh…"

"I know it must be tough, not finding the trainer that's right for you, but I'd definitely like to travel with you," he continued on, making sure to keep his gaze locked on to the little Pokémon's own eyes. "I think you and I could really grow together as an awesome team."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, offering a paw to Rowlet. He turned his head in the other direction, contemplating the offer before him. Ash took his hand back and reached for a pokeball, holding it out to the Grass Quill Pokémon.

"So, what do you say, Rowlet? Do you want to become  _my_  first Pokémon in Alola?" The offer on the table, Ash continued holding his pokeball aloft. He couldn't see the expressions of anyone behind him, but somehow, he could at least tell that Serena was smiling fondly at him. It took a moment of pure staring, but finally, Rowlet moved.

"Kuroh! Kuroh!" Rowlet chirped happily, flapping his wings up and down, creating a slight gust that rustled up some leaves with it. Ash and Pikachu couldn't help it. They grinned widely as Rowlet touched one of its wings to the pokeball. For a Pokémon that had started his introduction by hitting him in the face, Ash was surprised to see how energetic and kind Rowlet was. The bright light shone and Rowlet was sucked inside the pokeball. It shook a little until finally bright stars came off the capsule.

"Pikachu…" Ash said, turning to face his best buddy, who nodded. "We did it! We caught a Rowlet!"

"Pipikachu!" Pikachu cried as the both of them turned around to face their friends once more, holding out the ball that contained their first Pokémon from Alola. Serena clapped lightly while Bonnie looked excited and Clemont just smiled softly. Rotom couldn't seem to care less, resting itself on the table. Keeping the smile on his face, Ash pressed the button on the pokeball, calling Rowlet out. The Grass Quill Pokémon emerged and turned to face his new trainer.

"Let's have lots of great adventures together, and work towards our dream of becoming a Pokémon Master, Rowlet!" Ash told his new partner. Rowlet's eyes smiled and he extended a wing out, offering Ash a high five. Then, just like before, he zipped backwards and straight into Ash's backpack, where he once more fell asleep.

"Hm, how interesting," Hala commented. Ash noticed him shifting his body weight, as though getting ready to stand. "Long years of Rowlet searching for that one trainer who could accept him as he is, and then, within a day of your arrival, he chooses you. Watching you, I could see that shared feeling, and chose to not interrupt; I'm glad I didn't. Some Pokémon choose trainers…some trainers choose their Pokémon…yet I think that between the two of you, it may be something different: a mutual choice. So fitting for a Pokémon from Alola."

"Isn't it?" Kukui asked, his feet once more on the table. Hala looked to him as Kukui tipped his hat just a little bit. They seemed to share some kind of silent conversation; one that Ash felt was no doubt about him. "Come on, Master Hala, I know you can tell, just like me and Ilima."

"Yes…perhaps so," Hala agreed gruffly. He now officially stood, his weight slightly shaking the porch as he looked to Ash. "Ash, I feel that perhaps, in some way, you were always meant to come to Alola. Just as, perhaps, you were always meant to befriend Rowlet. I know that you two can become great partners, just as all the residents of Alola have with their Pokémon. Perhaps you really can walk the road of becoming an Island Champion."

"Of course, Ash can," Serena said confidently. Ash was grateful to her for her words, but he never stopped looking at Hala. The older man was now approaching him, a rather serious look on his face.

"Yes…" he said under his breath. "You mentioned your dream, yes? You believe the Island Trials will help you on that path?"

"Of course!" Ash answered confidently. "Nothing we do is a waste of time."

Hala appeared to consider his words carefully, as though debating something in his mind. Once he had decided, however, he grinned, his bright teeth gleaming. "Well, then, I guess I have no choice but to tell you about them!

"But first, let's have a battle at our full strength. One on one. I want to see the conviction of your dream."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, Rowlet has officially been met and joined Ash's team! Of course, I naturally gave him the same personality (kinda) as in the anime. He's too adorable to not. Now, there was a lot in this chapter between character introductions, the capture, setting up for the Trials to begin. I hope it all kind of flowed naturally and didn't feel too bogged down at any point. These opening chapters, I'll admit, are very difficult for me, especially with how different the story is. Nevertheless, next chapter is where we really kick off the plot…especially with a 1 on 1 battle against Hala!
> 
> I know starting this new trilogy is still sort of rough, but I'm really grateful for all the kind words and help. So, until next time, Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	4. A Ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A simple reminder to everyone: this is not the anime. I say this now because from roughly here out things will probably feel like they move fast, at least if you look at it from an anime perspective. So just remember it's the Ancienverse. But more importantly, it's Chapter 4!

Chapter 4

A Ring

Serena had to admit her surprise. Sure, she had no doubt that one of the first things Ash would do upon arrival in Alola was battling someone. What she didn't expect, however, was that his first battle would actually not start with him offering it. Instead, it was the imposing Kahuna before them, his eyes smiling, yet his stance fierce. Serena took her hat off and ran her fingers through her hair. Ash's obvious and impending answer was all that was left to Hala's offer of battle, but Serena wasn't waiting for it. She was too busy watching the Kahuna himself.

He continued to smile at Ash while Serena watched him, wondering. Bonnie was less concerned with the issue, though from a brief glance to her side, Serena could tell that Clemont was wondering the same thing. If the Kahuna was the end part of a trial…then why was Hala asking to battle Ash  _now_? The old Kahuna's eyes weren't telling, and Ash wasn't picking up on their intention whatsoever, but Serena narrowed her own, hoping to discover the reason he had asked Ash for a battle.

Did it have to do with the Rowlet that had just joined their little family?

Or was it Ash himself?

Serena wasn't sure, but she felt there was no time to think of more explanations.

"All right," Ash said, putting his fist up confidently. "Let's battle!"

"Ha ha! That's the spirit!" Hala boomed out. Flicking his bright yellow shirt behind him, the elderly Kahuna started walking off the porch, towards the platform in the middle of the square. As he passed by Ash, he placed a hand roughly on his shoulder, like an invitation, or perhaps a reassurance. "We'll battle in the square."

"Great!" Ash responded, before slipping his backpack off and looking down towards his new Rowlet. He reached a hand out and briefly ruffled his feathers, the little owl waking up. "Rowlet, you wanna watch me battle? It'll be a great learning experience for both of us!"

"Ku!" Rowlet agreed, zipping out suddenly from the backpack and fluttering around a bit before promptly landing on Serena's lap. Serena blinked at it in surprise as it hopped a bit and stared up at her. It only took a moment for him to begin nuzzling her softly. "Rrrrrroh…"

"I guess Rowlet wants to sit with you," Ash laughed out. Serena smiled at the affectionate bird in her lap before he turned back to Ash and hooted, letting him know that he was at attention (despite it clearly being naptime). Gripping the bird up in her arms, she stood, feeling the softness of his feathers. The way Rowlet relaxed into her arms made her feel, momentarily, like she was holding on to a small child.

"Aw! No fair, Serena!" Bonnie pouted, standing up alongside her. A scraping of the chairs behind her told Serena that both Clemont and Kukui were standing, while the buzzing sound next to her ear said that Rotom was once more active. "I want to hug Rowlet, too…"

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to hug Rowlet," Serena assured Bonnie, though her tongue was almost clucking, as if scolding.

"Serena's right," Ash said, tossing his bag to the ground and rolling his shoulder back and forth, stretching his muscles. Serena watched him, and only when she felt a slight pressure from Rowlet's talons did she realize she was unashamedly watching her boyfriend flex with no thought to anything else. That brought some slight redness to her face that no one else seemed to notice. "How about for now, you watch Pikachu, Bonnie?"

"Pika? !" Pikachu gasped out, almost sounding just a little jealous at what Ash was saying. Ash reached up and scratched his best friend behind the ears.

"We'll have lots of battles together in the Alola region, buddy," Ash assured his companion, "but right now, I bet Hala's really strong, so I want to use Greninja to test something."

"Test something?" Clemont asked from behind Serena.

"You'll see," Ash said, grinning at them. Serena arched an eyebrow at Ash's mysterious response. Pikachu sighed from his shoulder and then hopped off to go and join Bonnie and Dedenne; Rockruff had dropped to the floor next to the girl, barking after Ash. With that done, Ash whipped right around and ran straight after Hala at a breakneck pace, the older man having already reached the platform. A sudden hand clasped on Serena's shoulder and she turned to see Kukui standing there, his hands having taken ahold of both hers and Clemont's shoulders.

"Well, no reason to stand around," he told them with a grin. "Might as well watch the battle and cheer Ash on, huh? Hala's pretty strong, so I'm sure he'd appreciate all the cheering he could get."

"Of course," Serena laughed out. Clutching tighter to Rowlet, who appeared to be zoning out in her arms, the honey blonde instantly followed in Ash's footsteps towards where he was clambering on to the platform. The path, obviously, wasn't too long, so by the time they had reached the side of it, neither Ash nor Hala had called out their Pokémon. Kukui, however, stepped forward.

"Woo!" he cried out, slightly startling Serena. "All right, cousins, this is a one on one battle between Ash and Kahuna Hala! So, you're both only allowed one Pokémon, and when that one faints, the battle is over!"

"Yeah! Greninja, I choose you!" Ash called, tossing his pokeball high into the air. A bright light blasted from the capsule and Greninja emerged, standing comfortably, his arms folded. Rowlet stirred in Serena's arms, and seemed to be deciding to watch the battle with interest. Pikachu was doing the same from Bonnie's own hold.

"Hohoh," Hala commented, opening one of his eyes again to peer at Greninja. "This is quite the seasoned one, just like his trainer."

"Yeah, Greninja and I have been through a lot together," Ash told the Kahuna. Greninja turned his head back and nodded. "Both me and my Pokémon grow stronger together."

Hala reached up and once more stroked his mustache, and Serena caught the sight of something in the sun: a ring clasped around Hala's wrist, glittering a brownish-amber. Ash seemed to notice it as well, though his eyes appeared at least a little familiar with the sight of it. Judging from Hala's sudden pause in stroking, he had certainly seen Ash's spark of attention. "I like the sound of that. It means I can go all out, for sure. Crabominable, time to battle!"

"Wow!" Bonnie suddenly exclaimed, squeezing Pikachu just tight enough that he sent a little shock through her. "What a cutie!"

"Crabominable is not a 'cutie'," Rotom quickly corrected Bonnie, causing the lemon-blonde to glare at him. "Crabominable is an Ice and Fighting type named the Woolly Crab Pokémon. It just throws punches indiscriminately. In times of desperation, it can lop off its own pincers and fire them like rockets."

"Don't be such a killjoy."

"Dene!" Dedenne concurred. Serena ignored the feuding girl and machine to watch Ash. He and Greninja both seemed to be observing Crabominable. It certainly lived up to its description, though to Serena it looked no different than a giant Kingler with fur all over it. Ash certainly didn't seem to look at it that way. His body language was completely different; she could tell from all the times she'd seen him battle. It was closer to how he looked facing Seamus in the Kalos Team Tournament than it did while they'd fought during the Peace Tournament.

"You've noticed, too, Serena?" Clemont asked of her. She turned to the inventor as he adjusted his glasses. "Hala's Pokémon is quite strong just from the aura around it."

"No worries! Greninja and I are gonna win!" Ash called out, almost like he had heard Clemont's muttered response. "And then you'll tell me about that ring I keep seeing on everybody's wrists."

"So, you  _did_  notice," Hala chuckled out. "Good to know you're observant outside of battle as well. You'll need it for the trials ahead. After all, that's the only way you'll be able to effectively use one of these: a Z-Ring."

"Z-Ring?" Ash asked. His stance didn't change, but Serena could see the curiosity on his face.

" _That_  is only something we can talk about once you've cleared your Grand Trial," the older man responded. "Let's just say the Z-Ring is an heirloom for all island dwellers. As you complete your trials, obtain their signets and crystals, then you will amass the power of an Island Champion inside the Z-Ring bequeathed to you by a Kahuna. You'll need to beat Ilima and myself first, though."

"Not a problem!"

"Good. I'm glad to hear it, Ash. Now, less bantering. Time to battle."

"We'll make the first move!" Ash cried out, sweeping his hand outward. Serena found her face heating up for some odd reason. It had been so long since she'd seen Ash battle in something she presumed he felt was serious. It reminded her of just how impressive he was, and how much she loved seeing him like this: a trainer lost in a moment of nothing but what was right in front of him. The barking of Rockruff at their feet seemed to indicate her own enjoyment of the same. "Greninja, use Cut!"

"Ninja!" Greninja affirmed, unfolding his arms and running right at Crabominable. The shining blades formed in Greninja's hands like a sword. Rowlet squirmed in Serena's hands, obviously excited to study the battle and Greninja's quick movements. He wasn't the only one, as the barking near Kukui's feet grew louder, telling her that Rockruff was getting into the sight of the battle.

"Block it!" Hala called, placing his hand forward like an open-palmed punch. Greninja spun and brought the sword down on Crabominable. One of its pincers opened, and just as Greninja was about to make contact with it, the Ice type caught it, holding the blade in place. Serena's eyes widened at the sight. It wasn't often that something could stop Greninja's blade cold like that. The feeling she'd had earlier wasn't mistaken.

"Break free with Aerial Ace!" Ash commanded. Greninja's leg glowed white and he kicked upward, slamming into the large target. Crabominable managed to let go now as Greninja swung around with his other leg to hit it backwards. Ash pumped his fist a little, but it hardly seemed to have mattered against the foe before them.

"Brick Break!" Hala said sturdily, as though he wasn't shaken one bit by the super-effective attack that Ash had just landed on his partner. Serena stepped forward, a bad feeling about the battle pooling in the pit of her stomach. Crabominable rose its claw up and then brought it slamming straight down onto the exposed Greninja. The Ninja Pokémon plummeted, crashing down from the force of the attack that splintered a bit of the platform.

"What power…" Clemont commented. Serena wasn't in a place to disagree. She looked over to her boyfriend, but Ash seemed to be taking the battle seriously.

"We don't give up that easily! Double Team!" Ash cried. Greninja picked himself up from the ground and got into a crouching position. Then multiple copies of himself appeared around the platform. "Now, use Cut!"

"Rock Slide."

"Crabah-bah-bah!" Crabominable creaked out, both of its pincers raising into the air, glowing golden. All of the Greninja were now rushing at the Woolly Crab Pokémon with their glowing swords. Serena wasn't sure which direction to look in: towards Ash, who was focused on the fight, or Hala, who seemed completely relaxed despite the impending clash. Large, glowing rocks appeared in midair and then began to fall, each one of them crashing into a copy of Greninja.

"Now!" Ash ordered, thrusting his fist forward. The real Greninja suddenly shot out from between the falling rocks and brought his glowing sword slamming atop Crabominable's head. His opponent cried out, but still didn't budge, even as Greninja jumped back.

"Ohh…he's fast," Kukui commented, bringing his fingers up to his chin in interest. Serena had to agree: training with all of Ash's old Pokémon the last six months had made Greninja even faster than before, yet at the same time, he seemed to be doing relatively little to the foe before him. It sent a warning off in Serena's brain. Like there was something she or the others were missing.

"Use Ice Hammer," Hala ordered. He seemed perfectly calm, serene, as though the result of the battle or the attacks didn't matter to him. Crabominable's pincer was wreathed in ice like a gigantic hammer as it scuttled along the ground for Greninja.

"Stop its movements with Water Shuriken! Rapid fire!"

"Ninja ja ja!" Greninja cried, throwing his watery stars one after another. They impacted no problem, but Crabominable didn't slow down even once. It simply swung its Ice Hammer out, nailing Greninja in the stomach and tossing him back.

"Not done yet, jump up and use Aerial Ace!" Ash called effortlessly. Clemont suddenly shook his head.

"It's not going to be enough," Clemont commented. Rowlet turned his head in Serena's arms, prompting Serena to do the same, looking at her bespectacled friend with worry. "He keeps attacking it, but Crabominable is too strong, in more ways than one. Hala's  _not_  an ordinary trainer."

"Of course he's not, cousin," Kukui commented, bending down to pet Rockruff's fur while he watched the battle excitedly. "He's a Kahuna. Hala's putting all his conviction and purpose into the battle."

"And just what is his purpose?" Serena asked of the professor as Greninja managed to leap upwards, high above Crabominable. Kukui turned to her and grinned.

"He wants to see if Ash is on the right path for the Island Pilgrimage. That's the role of a Kahuna, after all." Serena wasn't quite sure she understood, but one thing was very clear from the moment that Greninja's glowing fist went to strike his opponent: Hala was the strongest trainer that Ash had likely ever fought seriously. That had to have been what Ash wanted to test.

Both were thoughts proven correct in mere seconds as Crabominable caught hold of Greninja with its pincers before the fist could impact. Hala appeared to grin, like he had Ash and Greninja right where he wanted them. "Close Combat."

"Crabah!" Crabominable cried, its other pincer soaring out and slamming Greninja in the chest before its head slammed forward to knock him back, finishing it off with the other claw. Greninja tumbled across the platform, struggling to get back up.

"Greninja, are you okay?" Ash called as Greninja continued to struggle to his feet. He barely got onto his knees before he looked back at Ash. "Guess we'll have to go that far, huh?"

"Ninja!" Greninja cried. Ash shifted his feet and in the background, Serena could hear Bonnie and Pikachu cheering. There was also another sound, like rustling in the trees beyond that made her hair stand on end, but she focused on her boyfriend. He raised his hand to the air, just the same as Greninja did. It was like a last-ditch effort to keep up with the Kahuna before him. Serena didn't want to see the result. She already knew what it was, even though she believed Ash could pull out a victory. But it was Kukui's words that pulled her back from being certain he would win:  _Hala's putting all his conviction and purpose into the battle._

_But his purpose isn't to win,_  Serena realized. Unlike Ash, who no doubt wanted to win alongside Greninja, she had to wonder how strong Hala truly was, fighting with a purpose that wasn't even about winning. Still, she kept her eyes on the battle as water surrounded Greninja, blasting outward like it usually did. Kukui straightened up, and Hala opened one of his eyes. Various cries in the town said that the event had drawn some kind of attention, and there was even a shrill cry from the forest. A shadow flitted upwards from the trees past Iki Town, but it was soon veiled by the rush of water coming from Greninja. In seconds, the torrent coalesced and formed into the shuriken on Greninja's back.

"Now that is fascinating…" Kukui breathed out. Catching a glimpse of his face, Serena could tell he looked beyond excited. Hala, on the other hand, looked to be frowning, contemplative.

"Greninja, let's try to win this so we can get started on that Island Trial!" Ash cried out, he and Greninja moving in perfect sync with one another. "Use Water Shuriken!"

"Gren!" Greninja cried, grabbing the giant water shuriken from his back and throwing it right at Crabominable.

"Block it with Ice Hammer," Hala said, still sounding completely calm in the face of what was before him. Serena shifted her eyes to Clemont, who locked gazes with her. They both shared the same premonition: Hala was still very much in charge of the battle. Looking back to her boyfriend, Serena could tell that Ash knew it just as well. He wasn't panicking or despairing, but there was a sense of simply trying the best he could. Crabominable's fierce claws shot out, once more glittering with the icy hammer. It seemed to grow larger as it slammed into the Water Shuriken, breaking it to pieces before it hit Greninja powerfully in the chest. Ash recoiled, gripping at his stomach.

"Looks like simple attacks won't do it," he breathed out, loud enough for Serena to hear. Greninja turned his head back and once more nodded. The two raised their hands into the air, Greninja's shuriken hovering overhead. Serena's eyes widened, watching it spin and begin to scorch the air like a blazing disc, though it seemed to glitch in and out for some reason. At this, Hala actually seemed to react.

"Crabominable!" he shouted, and his partner Pokémon crossed its pincers as Hala crossed his wrists over one another before bringing them to his sides and crossing them again. His ring appeared to glow brightly, the crystal on the surface shining. He punched forward, and so did Crabominable. Then again, and again. It was too fast for Serena to get a good glimpse of as Hala's punches came quickly and fiercely. At the same moment, Crabominable's own pincers were punching forward at an unspeakable pace. Ghostly fists flew from him, amber in color as they aimed right for Greninja. The attacks pummeled him in the chest and both trainer and Pokémon lost control of their shuriken. "All-Out Pummeling!"

"Bomina!" Crabominable roared as its body was imbued with the same amber aura as the fists were, and it charged forward, right for the prone Greninja who only barely managed to stand in time to be slammed into. Greninja flew back as Ash dropped to the ground, almost falling off the stage. With a bright flash of light, Serena knew that Greninja had reverted, and the battle was over. Clemont's mouth was hanging open.

"What…? What  _was_  that?" Clemont exclaimed, equal parts horrified and fascinated. Kukui laughed at the boy's awe, though he wasn't the one to answer. Hala was, striding across the stage to a stirring Ash.

"That was a Z-Move," Hala explained. He held out his pokeball and recalled Crabominable, thanking it for a good battle just as he came to stand before Ash and Greninja. Pikachu leapt out of Bonnie's arms, dashing across to his trainer, and when Serena felt Rowlet squiggling, she let go of him so he could join their group. "A move that is used when a trainer and Pokémon's thoughts, convictions, dreams, meanings and  _purpose_  are as one. One that moves in accordance with nature itself, as does all life on Alola."

"It was really strong," Ash commented groggily, staring up at the Kahuna before him. "I could feel every blow…but it's too bad we couldn't win."

"You should have never expected to." Ash snapped his gaze up at that, and even Serena was surprised by the words that were so seemingly callous. Yet Hala held no frigid expression nor one of discontent. "You have not yet found your purpose or meaning, for either yourself or in relation to the wide world. Therefore, you could not expect to defeat me. Not as you are."

"That's not true," Ash protested, coming to stand to his feet once more. Greninja did as well, while Pikachu and Rowlet fluttered to each of his shoulders. "I know my purpose. I'm going to become a Pokémon Master. And I'm gonna do it together, with these guys."

"Hmm…you certainly do not lack ambition, or strength, or conviction," Hala stated, once more stroking his mustache. "Tell me, Ash, why do you want to be a Pokémon Master? Why did you want to win? Why does it frustrate you to lose?"

"Because…" Ash stopped here, as though realizing he didn't have any answer to Hala's question. Serena thought to ask Kukui about why the Kahuna was asking these questions, but the professor seemed far too lost in thought to answer. "Winning against strong trainers would bring me closer to being a Pokémon Master."

"I see…and yet, you could not defeat me," Hala said. Ash frowned, obviously not liking, or perhaps understanding, exactly what Hala was trying to say. The older man, however, didn't look concerned, for he reached forward and placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, a chuckle on his lips. "Ah, don't worry; you're a strong, young man, much like myself in my youth. I didn't expect you to have an answer to those questions."

"Old Man Hala likes asking those philosophical questions from trainers," Kukui confirmed. "Thinks it makes them stronger inside. He even asked me when I took the Island Trials. I don't even know if I can answer him today!"

"That's because you never cared, Kukui," Hala grumbled out at him. Kukui responded with a laugh, but Hala was no longer paying attention to him. "Nevertheless, I think you're more than qualified to take part in the Island Trials."

"Really?" Ash asked, his eyes lighting up. Hala grinned, holding a small amulet dangling in front of Ash's face. There were four empty circles surrounded by seven wedges.

"Of course. You've shown me your conviction. I'll contact Ilima in the morning to tell him to head for Verdant Cavern," Hala laughed out. "For now, why don't you all stay at my place. It's getting late, and I'm sure you're all hungry."

"Yeah!" Ash agreed, taking the amulet from the older man. Hala once more patted him on the back and went walking off towards his home yet again. Bonnie was the first to follow after, Clemont trailing behind. Serena took it a little more slower, walking closer to Ash until she was right near him.

"You all right?" she asked. Ash grinned at her with a thumbs up.

"Of course, I am!" he answered right back, hopping off the platform and giving her a hug. "Hala's a strong trainer, for sure, and if I ever want to be a Pokémon Master, I know I need to beat him. So, the three of us are gonna get way stronger together, so we can do that, one step at a time, right?"

"Kuroh!"

"Pikapika!"

"Nin!" Serena smiled at the sight of all three of his Pokémon agreeing with him. Just like always, Ash bounced back from any loss (though there was no doubt it helped that he'd lost to such a skilled trainer). Feeling invigorated by his ethic, Serena turned her thoughts towards her own dream ahead, and what she could use to move forward in accomplishing it.

Yet as she turned back towards Hala's house, she saw his smile slip for just a second…but it was gone just as soon, and Serena was left wondering if she'd ever seen it drop at all.

* * *

The clock inside Hala's house ticked on in the silent hours of the night, and Ash could hear every single one of those ticks going off. He simply couldn't sleep, his head too full with the excitement of the day. It wasn't even because of the bright tablet screen right next to him, or the loud sounds of Bonnie, Dedenne and Hala snoring in another room. No, his mind was still on the battle he'd had with Hala, and the strange questions the Kahuna had asked of him shortly afterward.

He knew he'd be lying if he said that the questions hadn't weighed on him a  _little_. They certainly weren't at the forefront of his mind through dinner, especially when Kukui had asked him about Greninja's transformation and Bonnie had launched into a loud and complicated explanation that didn't make all that much sense. Rockruff seemed to enjoy the conversation, though, rubbing up against Ash's leg and receiving a petting in turn. Other than that, the evening had been dedicated to relaxing, even if Ash felt his mind simply couldn't relax.

Choosing to instead occupy his mind with something, Ash turned his head to Serena, who was lying next to him. Her face was illuminated by the tablet in her hands as she scrolled through some things with interest. Ash smiled softly as Pikachu rested comfortably on his chest. Before he knew it, he'd wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into him.

"What are you looking at?" Ash asked quietly. He didn't want to wake Clemont on the bed next to him, the inventor grabbing hold of a resting Rotom. Serena turned her head.

"Just stuff about the Leilani Ceremony that looks to be online," she told him. "Seems like it consists of three parts: a course, a performance and a battle. The winner of all three gets what they call a Lei: a tiny flower. Once you've collected three, you can participate in the Final Ceremony, known as the Hope Leilani, where you can become the Ali'i ka Leilani."

"Sounds a lot like Showcases, then," he responded. Serena nodded, before finally closing the tablet and placing it down. She turned her body, her chest now flat on the bed as she stared at him. Ash only smiled back, unable to tell what was on her mind. He didn't mind it either. There were often times, lately, that Serena had taken to sleeping by his side, and most of the time, she would do this: just watch him for a little bit before they'd fall asleep. "You'd be great at it."

"Just like you'll dominate your trials," Serena reminded him. Ash grunted a little with a nod, but wasn't sure how else to respond. He just stared ahead at Rowlet resting in his backpack, thinking on Hala's still-strange question. "Ash…what are you thinking about?"

"Hmm, well…" Ash's face screwed up into one of thought. His mind was a jumbled mess, even though it should have been getting ready for sleep.  _Why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?_  Perhaps it was this question, most of all, that was besetting him with the utmost confusion. It was something he'd never thought of before; it was just something he wanted to do. Though maybe that wasn't true. "Just wondering if I can really be as good a Pokémon Master as dad thought I was."

"I know you can be," Serena told him, once more shifting herself so that she was now in a decent position to reach over and kiss him softly. "I've always believed in that."

"Yeah," Ash replied, feeling a little better. Flicking his eyes back up to the ceiling, a new thought penetrated Ash's brain. Hala's questions, what Ilima had mentioned the trials did for a trainer; they were about more than growing stronger like one did through Gym battles. They were about just growing as a trainer, something that would, in turn, lead to strength. Clenching his fist in excitement, Ash spoke aloud about his own realization. "I think I know why Diantha suggested this region. She really wants to fight me at full power, and what better way than learning more about my Pokémon with the trials."

"Makes sense to me," Serena concurred. Ash nodded, pleased with the result he'd come to. Feeling his conviction flood him yet again, knowing that he'd be able to answer Hala's questions by the journey's end, he put his arm around Serena and pulled her close, prepared to sleep.

_Kauuuuu!_

Ash shot up before he could fully lay down, bringing Serena right with him. Pikachu tumbled forward, rolling to his feet with a groan. Breaths came to him in short heaves as he glanced around the room, finding nothing but a very disgruntled Pikachu and a perplexed Serena.

"Ash, what's wrong?" she asked him. Clemont hadn't woken quite yet, mumbling softly as he seemed to weirdly cuddle up against Rotom. "Ash?"

"Didn't…you hear that?" he asked. Serena shook her head. Ash frowned as a result; it had been so loud, how could she have not? Was it just in his head? Attempting to steady his breath, Ash planned to lay down once more when he suddenly saw Pikachu's ears twitch, and Rowlet wake up from his position. He  _definitely_  wasn't crazy.

_Kokokokoko!_  The new sound was almost tribal, sweeping over the house in a wave, and yet, Serena still seemed like she didn't hear it at all. Letting go of her, Ash got out of the bed, feet touching the cold wooden floor. The voice had sounded close, though not exactly where he was. Yet it felt like a call more than anything else. He padded forward, Pikachu alongside him as Rowlet fluttered near his ear. The sound, like a chuckling or chattering, grew closer as he walked towards the room that Hala was sleeping in.

A sudden blast of breeze washed over him, like a window or door was open. It wasn't a cold breeze, but there was simply something different about it, his hair standing up on end from the feeling of it. Pikachu and Rowlet both shivered as Ash took his first tentative step into the room.

That was where he saw it.

Hovering just above Hala's desk, the man sleeping lazily in a hammock next to it, was a Pokémon that Ash had never seen before. That typically wasn't anything new in the foreign region, but Ash could tell this was different. Its small, blue eyes were peering at him through the darkness of Hala's room, the orange crest atop its head quivering in the breeze. It seemed to feel like electricity was brimming through its black body, covered only by an intricate, yellow mask that appeared as shells. It continued staring at him, as though beckoning him forth. Ash's eyes shifted down to its crested bottom half and saw its black hands clasping to something, like a strange stone of sorts. Squinting through the darkness, Ash could swear it looked just like the components for a Z-Ring.

_Kuuuuuu!_  It appeared to cry and then it zipped away, taking off with the stone. Ash's body began to move of its own accord, slowly, one foot in front of the other. Then the voice spoke in his head.  _Come._

"Hey, come back here!" Ash found himself yelling. His cry reverberated through the entire house, stirring the old Kahuna next to him. Hala tumbled off of the hammock, but Ash was already moving forward, grabbing onto the edge of the window that the creature had sailed through and catapulting himself out of it.

"Ash! Where are you going? !" Serena yelled in obvious concern, but he didn't answer her back. The voice had told him to follow, and something compelled him to listen.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu asked, keeping pace alongside him while Rowlet cut through the night air silently. Ash nodded, his black hair bouncing as he ran.

"You heard it, too. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pi," Pikachu concurred while Rowlet hooted, indicating that he had heard the voice, as well. Glad to know that he wasn't hearing things; that the strange Pokémon before him had actually spoken to him, Ash picked up the pace, diving right into the thicket of the forest.

The yellow blur that came from the Pokémon made it easy to track for Ash, even if he had to frighten a few Spinarak away. A tree root quickly approached and Ash leapt over it, looking around to make sure he hadn't lost sight of his quarry. He thought he could spy someone else in the forest with him, a Pokémon by their side as they searched through the brush, but he ignored it in favor of continuing to run after the thief.

The forest began to clear, statues that served as waymarks popping up, almost like directions to an area. His pace began to slow as the trees all but disappeared. The sound of flowing water entered Ash's ears, combined with what appeared to be the crashing of a waterfall. His feet finally crunched on dry dirt and he slowed. He was definitely out of the forest now, approaching a ravine with a bridge stretching over it. True to his earlier observations, Ash noticed a waterfall feeding into a river that ran through the ravine below, following its steep drop.

The only problem was that he could no longer see the Pokémon he was looking for. No matter how much he glanced around, the flash of orange and yellow didn't appear. However, as he looked to the bridge that stretched over the ravine, he did catch sight of something else: a girl was there, gripping onto a large tubular drum bag carefully. She seemed to glow in the moonlight, her white dress looking pearlescent in the light. The only thing that really stood out about her was her large hat on her head; if it had been daytime, he'd have thought nothing, but at night, it came off as an odd fashion choice. Still, he wanted some answers, and so approached the girl.

"No, you can't come out," the girl was whispering, causing Ash's brow to furrow as he approached her. "I know you want to, but you won't tell me why!"

"Pew!" a voice appeared to cry out from the bag the girl was holding. It caused Ash to come up to a sudden stop, his feet scraping against the dirt. The girl practically jumped and she whipped around to face him, zipping her bag up tightly. Her big, green eyes were wide as her blonde braids flapped around. She seemed to be in shock and Ash stepped forward once more, illuminating himself with moonlight.

"Um…sorry to startle you," Ash told her, raising his hand. The girl backed up a bit as he approached. "Oh, right. Alola!"

"A…Alola…" the girl greeted back before her eyes widened even more. Ash hadn't thought that possible, but it almost looked like she recognized him. He didn't know how that was possible…at least until he remembered that he hadn't exactly had the best memory of Serena, either. "Wh-what are you doing out here so late at night?"

"I was…chasing something," Ash admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Of course, he could have asked her the same thing, but didn't. "It looked like a bird with a big yellow mask."

"Tapu Koko? !" the girl exclaimed, almost like she was surprised. Ash wasn't sure how to answer. Was that its name? "No, you're the only one I've seen out here tonight."

"Oh," Ash said, just the slightest bit disappointed. Laughing it off, Ash smiled at her before extending a hand out. "Anyway, I'm Ash Ketchum. Yourself?"

"I…I know," the girl said. It pretty much confirmed what Ash thought, and he looked at her, hoping she'd elaborate further. "You…you actually came  _here_ …"

"Um…excuse me?" Ash asked. Pikachu inched forward to the girl, standing just a couple feet from her as he looked up and smiled; Rowlet came to fall asleep on Ash's shoulder. The girl swallowed and Ash saw her bag suddenly twitch. A loud sound echoed from the forest behind him, but it wasn't the cry he had heard earlier. "Do I know you?"

"N-no," the girl answered. Once more, the sound echoed from behind him, like someone crashing through the woods to come to that spot. Pikachu inched closer. Ash also took a step forward, hoping she'd explain the contradiction in her words. "I'm sorry. I need to go."

"Hey, wai-" Ash couldn't even finish the second syllable before the girl had dashed into a part of the forest opposite of where he'd heard the sound. Feeling more lost than ever, Ash crossed his arms and faced back towards the area he had come from. "That was weird…"

"Kuroh…" Rowlet seemed to agree, awakening on Ash's shoulder and nuzzling up against him. Ash laughed and reached up to pet him, only to stop. The source of the crashing noise was finally revealed as a boy emerged from the forest, looking disheveled. Ash would have thought that the rips on his clothes were from his battling of the forest…had he not recognized him right away.

"Oh! You! You're the guy I met earlier today in Hau'oli City!" Ash exclaimed, his voice echoing over the ravine. The blond boy stopped at Ash's voice, looking right at him. The raven-haired trainer took a moment to look at the odd Pokémon at his side, wishing Rotom were here to explain it to him. The boy continued a looking a moment longer before nodding his head.

"The one with the Greninja and Pikachu," he spoke, stepping forward like he felt comfortable doing so. Now that he had discerned Ash's identity, his gaze was going every which way, like he was searching for something. Coming closer in the moonlight, Ash noticed the Z-Ring he hadn't seen before, during his brief meeting with the boy, though said short look made it seem different from the others he'd seen. "I see you got a third Pokémon."

"Yeah, this is Rowlet. And I'm Ash! You've met Pikachu," Ash told him. The boy looked at him curiously, as though debating something. While he did, Ash's own eyes flitted around the area, still trying to catch sight of the mysterious Pokémon, Tapu Koko, from earlier.

"I'm Gladion. This is Null," the boy finally answered, as though resigned to having to answer. Ash grinned once more, nodding at Gladion. For a second, he debated asking the boy for a battle, just as he'd suggested back in Hau'oli City. It was proven irrelevant by Gladion's next statement as he scowled a little and folded his arms. "We keep running into each other, I guess…but I can't battle right now, much as I'd want to."

"Oh…" Now Ash really did feel disappointed. Just looking the boy up and down, Ash could tell that Gladion had been through some rough things and was likely a strong trainer. Judging from the way Rowlet gripped at his shoulder, it seemed that the bird agreed Gladion would be a tough opponent to face. Pikachu walked over to Null.

"Pikachu!" he greeted. Null leaned down and gazed at Pikachu through its weird mask, like it was sizing him up. After that moment of observation, Null turned away with what sounded like a scoff.

"Null isn't very good with others," Gladion admitted, his own posture never coming out of a defensive one.  _It doesn't look like you are, either_ , Ash noted in his brain. The boy appeared cold and distant, like his mind was completely on some other thing. It didn't matter much to Ash, in the end. "Not that it's important. I'm looking for someone. A girl. Her name's Lillie. Have you seen her?"

"Lillie?" Ash asked. He wondered for a moment if that was the girl he had spoken with just moments ago. He opened his mouth to answer Gladion.  _Don't!_  Keeping his mouth hanging open at the sudden warning, Ash resisted the urge to look around. Gladion cocked his head a little, his serious expression like interrogative daggers plunging into his skin. "No, I haven't seen anyone. Just…something else."

"Oh," Gladion replied, his surly expression giving way to an almost angry one. He turned to Null and patted it on the head. Ash noticed his expression softening for just a moment. "Guess we're back to square one, Null."

"Huuuu…" sounded out the hollow voice from inside the mask. Gladion turned back to Ash and smirked. Then he stepped forward, holding out his hand.

"Ash, right? I'll remember the name, so that the next time we meet, we can make room for a battle," Gladion spoke. Ash didn't hesitate in taking Gladion's hand, shaking it and staring into his green eyes, noting how full of determination they were. So were Ash's. Pikachu also held a paw out to Null, but Null didn't reciprocate. Then, Gladion retracted his hand. "Let's go!"

"Hu!" Null echoed out. Gladion instantly turned back, and within seconds had once more disappeared into the brush of the forest. Pikachu turned and looked up at Ash, who shrugged. It was one event after another, and he still hadn't managed to find Tapu Koko.

"Oh, well. Guess we better head back," Ash told his partners. Both seemed to agree, and Ash turned around to leave the site.

_Kokokoko!_

"Ah!" Ash screamed, falling backwards. Rowlet flew from his shoulder while Pikachu dodged him. Floating right in front of him was the hovering form of Tapu Koko, the strange stone from earlier still held in its hands. Breathing in, Ash slowly stood while Tapu Koko surveyed him. He stepped forward, hand reaching out tentatively. Tapu Koko didn't flinch or move. It just waited as he placed his hand upon the stone. Something told him that was what the creature wanted him to do.

Sparks flew off the stone's surface, brilliant blue and yellow electricity shining about the area. Ash stared with awe at the Pokémon before him before retracting his hands. The electricity summoned by Tapu Koko lit up the area like a festival and Ash began to see the stone change before his eyes, as if being molded in a crucible. It warped, twisted, spinning round and round under the dazzling light show until, finally, it stopped, and floating before him was a shining Z-Ring.

_Take it_ , the voice once more spoke in his head. Ash looked straight up into Tapu Koko's eyes and it nodded. His hand shaking just a little, Ash finally reached for the ring and it slid itself perfectly onto his wrist. He felt the surprising coolness of it for a mere second before something flashed in his brain.

_Conflict._  Men fighting men appeared to Ash in his mind's eye before Pokémon clashed in a brutal and visceral battle.  _War._  Kings and armies stood, clashing with each other.  _Battles_. There were Pokémon in an arena, battling against each other to a bloody finish. Ash fell to his knees, the visions practically consuming his mind.  _Death._  Ash began to shake as he saw the countless bodies strewn across a bloody battlefield…familiar faces littered its wastes before he saw the one sight all too familiar to him. His father's body lay there before being suddenly consumed by a great gaping darkness that enveloped all. And then the notes came, three soft and clear musical notes before the final word.  _Peace…_

"What?" Ash asked. More crashing was heard in the distance as Ash sucked in a breath. There was a loud whooshing noise, and as Ash looked up, Tapu Koko was gone. The visions, those odd visions that haunted a corner of his brain, were gone with it. Only the Z-Ring remained, touching against his skin. Ash reached over to clasp it, realizing it actually  _was_  real. He  _had_  seen Tapu Koko, had those awful visions, had received a Z-Ring.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, running up to him and shaking his leg gently. Rowlet also looked concerned, and even though he wasn't out of his pokeball, Ash could tell Greninja was worried as well.

"I'm all right. Thanks, buddy," Ash said with a smile. This time he managed to pet both Pikachu and Rowlet before the crashing ceased.

"Ash!" Serena's worried voice called. Dusting off his shorts, Ash stood to look at his girlfriend, still dressed in her pajamas. Bonnie was there, too, still asleep in Clemont's arms alongside Rotom. The three of them weren't alone, as both Hala and Kukui were trekking up behind them, Rockruff barking along. "Are you all right? You ran off so suddenly!"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Ash said once more. Hala now walked forward, Kukui and Rockruff right behind him. The older Kahuna observed him a moment, his eyes coming to rest at the ring upon Ash's wrist. His head turned a bit and cracked an eye open at Kukui, who raised his eyebrows.

"You heard a voice, did you not?" Hala asked. Ash gave a start, looking straight up at Hala. There was a stern expression on his face. Ash nodded. "And that Z-Ring…"

"A Z-Ring? !" Clemont exclaimed, though not loud enough to wake either Bonnie or Rotom. Ash held up his arm, his new Z-Ring glittering in the moonlight. Serena looked shocked at the sight. Ash wasn't surprised; it had all happened so fast.

"How did you come by it?"

"I was given it, from that stone that Tapu Koko stole from your house," Ash answered to the best of his knowledge. Kukui and Hala once more shared a look between themselves, and the older of the two began to stroke his mustache liberally.

"Tapu Koko, eh…?" Hala noted. He kept staring at Ash, as though reaching a certain decision. "So…it happens again…that cheeky Tapu…"

"What happens again?" Clemont asked, but the Kahuna didn't answer him. He simply leaned forward and placed his hands on Ash's shoulders while the professor answered for him.

"Tapu Koko has chosen a trainer," he answered. The way Kukui had said it was filled with such respect and reverence, that it almost made Ash feel unworthy of the ring around his wrist. "That hasn't happened in quite some time…The last time the guardian deity of Melemele chose a trainer was…I'm not even sure."

"What does it mean, then?" Serena asked.

"It means," Hala began to say, "that Tapu Koko, our great guardian deity, has chosen Ash to inherit his will and power. The power of a battling deity. A god of war, if you will."

"A god of war? !" Ash exclaimed. He certainly didn't want to be that. Hala, however, began to laugh, as if reassuring him.

"No fear; it simply means that Tapu Koko must see you as someone special, I would think," the Kahuna answered, his belly jiggling just a little. "As I told you, we Kahunas typically fashion Z-Rings ourselves and give them to trainers who complete the Grand Trials. But for the guardian deity to bequeath you one…

"Ash, it means that from this moment on, your Island Pilgrimage begins."

Ash started to smile despite himself. True, there was much exhaustion in his veins, but hearing Hala's words that he could finally begin on his journey for real, he had no choice but to share that enthusiasm. Clapping Ash's shoulders once more, Hala turned back and began to usher everyone along towards Iki Town. Ash just kept his determined grin and looked at his Z-Ring once more with his Pokémon. Determining for the umpteenth time that it was real, Ash walked forward and took Serena's hand. As they entered back into the forest, Ash looked back at the softly swaying bridge. Tapu Koko's voice once more entered his head, speaking words that he would end up forgetting by morning.

_Go and show me your fury. For danger is soon to come to Alola…and the world!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: With this chapter, the actual plot for the trilogy can begin. Between Ash getting his Z-Ring and the mysterious visions with it, the official introductions of Gladion and Lillie and the beginning of what I'm hoping to do with Ash's character, it all made for a very exciting chapter. I hope you thought so, too. Yes, it was a lot, but I hope it handled it all well.
> 
> A quick note, however, on the battle with Hala. Ash got trashed, true, but I hope it came through that Hala was on a level far above Ash and adjusts his abilities according to the trainer he's facing. He sees Ash as an Elite Four caliber trainer, so that's what he's using. Hope it makes sense.
> 
> I almost lost my mojo writing this chapter, so I'm glad all your words could embolden me now…even if for some reason not a lot of people reviewed last chapter. Oh well, can always hope for more this time! Until next time, Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	5. An Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To correct things, after receiving so many well-wishes last chapter: I wrote these chapters about 2 months ago, ha ha. So when I say I lost my moxie, I've long since gotten it back. But thank you for everyone's kind words! Now, time for Chapter 5!

Chapter 5

An Arrival

The plane touched down on the dew-laden asphalt that made up the landing strip. It squealed a bit as it slowed itself to a halt, the steam created in the crisp morning air puffing from its engines. The ramp lowered and those few passengers that had caught the red-eye flight to Alola stepped out, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

James and Meowth were no exception.

"Da sun is too bright…" Meowth commented, adjusting the sunglasses on his face. He was bedecked in a floral-patterned shirt with shorts, a topless visor on his head. "Remind me why we traveled here overnight?"

"Because the booooooos," James yawned out, bringing the brim of his cap down to hide his eyes from the sun, "asked us to. And we couldn't exactly say no! Not when Inkay was approved to come along with me this time!"

"Inkay!" Inkay called out, clearly happy to be soaking in the sun rays. James smiled at his companion and reached over to cuddle it tightly. Suddenly, James felt something bump up against his back and he instantly pitched forward, wanting to move out of the way of the surprisingly well-rested diva that he knew was approaching from behind him.

"Ah, now  _this_  is my kind of region!" Jessie sang out, Gourgeist floating around her happily. James rolled his eyes in exasperation. Just a few seconds into the new region, and already Jessie was acting like this was her new home where she'd be beloved by all. Sighing a little, James took out a small bracelet from his pocket and attached it to his hand, touching some invisible buttons on the surface. "An island beauty such as myself could only belong to the Alola Region and its crystal shores! I can already picture it!"

"Picture yaself workin' Jess. We ain't on vacation here," Meowth reminded her. James rolled his eyes again as a map of the city they were in, Hau'oli City, popped up.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet concurred with his feline companion. Jessie, as expected, did not.

"What are you trying to say, Meowth?" she snapped. Gourgeist sounded off angrily as well, the two leaning in towards Meowth while Jessie lowered her sunglasses to glare. Meowth didn't back down.

"I'm tryin' to say dat da boss wouldn't be happy if he found out we were doin' nothing but sittin' around tannin' on da beach," Meowth shot back. James backed off a bit, worried that Jessie was really going to completely lose it and continued to scroll on his own through the data coming through his bracelet, including a map of the region, dossiers on their target, and information on various Pokémon native to the region.

"You're just jealous, Meowth, because I almost made Kalos Queen last year and could do it all over again in Alola!" Jessie proclaimed, sticking her nose up in the air. The expression suited her well, but James wasn't about to tell her that.

"Yeah…dat's it…"

"Wobba!"

"Why don't we stop talking about this and find a suitable spot to contact the boss and let him know we're in Alola?" James pointed out. "I'm sure he's waiting to give us better instructions for our mission of taking down Team Skull and ARC." Jessie and Meowth appeared to stop their bickering a moment, blinking at him like he'd grown a second head. He worried over their possible impending outburst before both looked thoughtful.

"James is right," Jessie pointed out, folding her arms across her tanktop. Smirking a little, she tapped her sunglasses back down over her eyes. "Well, let's go then."

"Perfect," James said, clicking on his bracelet professionally. "There's a café we can head for. Perhaps they sell the Alolan equivalent of croissants there. You'd like that, wouldn't you, Inkay?"

"Kay inkay!" Inkay cheered happily as James began walking forward to lead them out of the airport. He wasn't surprised when Jessie took lead, however, despite the fact she had no clue where they were going. After she'd turned a few corners in the wrong direction, eliciting some sighs from Meowth, she finally resorted to stomping her foot angrily.

"I'm surprised it took her three times," Meowth mumbled to James.

"Somehow, so am I," James muttered back.

"James, just hurry up and give me directions!" Jessie snapped back, stomping over to them. Her actions garnered some attention from the residents of Hau'oli City, but James chuckled nervously, hoping to ward them off. The blue-haired Rocket operative looked to glance at the map again, only to realize that he hadn't felt something crawl up him and begin clawing at the bracelet. Well…it was more like gnawing at it.

"Hey, get off!" James yelled at the Pokémon. It turned to look at him and seemed to smile a moment, like it was happy to be feasting on the bracelet. "That's a piece of Team Rocket's new technology! You can't go and eat it!"

"Gruh?" James shook his wrist powerfully, finally shaking the Pokémon loose and onto the ground. Within seconds, he'd looked it up in his database.

"A Grubbin, is it? Strange," James remarked, though he seemed to be the only one that cared what it was. "I wonder why it wants my bracelet so much."

"Maybe it's fashion-oriented," Meowth snickered out, like he found the whole situation funny. James supposed it could be, considering that the Grubbin was making a move right for him yet again. Or, it did until Jessie snapped.

"Whatever it is, it's gross. Get out of here, ugly!" she cried, kicking at the bug and sending it flying. There was a sudden and palpable change in the air and James began to sweat. Looking around, he noticed that the citizens of the city were all staring at them incredulously.

"Uh…Jess…I don't tink ya shoulda done dat…" Meowth said nervously, sticking his paws up to his mouth. Wobbuffet was turning his head back and forth rapidly in worry. Jessie turned to look at James, the scowl still on her face, but the stares didn't disappear. James cleared his throat, chuckled a little and then grabbed Jessie. Before she could protest, he had the help of Meowth and Wobbuffet to race away from the scene of what they'd just done. Their group didn't stop until they'd left the stares behind and had stopped next to a large bulletin board, presumably out in front of a town hall.

"What was that all about? !" the magenta-haired woman snapped.

"They were staring at you like you'd grown a second head," James told her.

"Another second dere and we coulda been dead," Meowth concurred. Jessie huffed angrily, raising her hands as though she were about to hit the both of them for interrupting her venting of rage. James looked to Meowth and both prepared to intercept the blow when Jessie stopped. They waited a few seconds for the blow that never came before lowering their arms to see Jessie staring at the bulletin board they had stopped in front of, their compatriot scrutinizing a very specific flyer on the board. "Uh…whatcha lookin' at, Jess?"

"Ah ha," Jessie laughed out, and James could see the usual haughty smile combined with smirk begin to stretch her face. "Ahahahahahahaha!"

"Okay, Jess is cracked."

"She certainly seems to have gone out of whack."

"I have not!" Jessie proclaimed loudly and proudly, ripping the flyer from the board and shoving it in their faces defiantly. James took it and looked over its contents. It was an advertisement of some sort for an event to take place in a town called Pua Town to the north. According to the flyer, it was called the Leilani Ceremony, a place for trainers to prove their worth by using their Pokémon in unique ways to claim the title of Ali'i ka Leilani. It sounded quite the prestigious award to James. "This is it! My chance to fame!"

"It is?" Meowth asked, now jumping up and nabbing the flyer from James. "Looks like Showcases and Contests to me."

"Of course it is! Which is why I'll make my mark on the world and become the Ali'i ka Leilani for all of Alola to worship and praise! Gourgeist will help me of course!"

"Geist!" Gourgeist agreed, spinning in midair like a dancer. Meowth sighed, looking to James and shrugging his shoulders. There appeared to be nothing for it; whenever Jessie set her mind to anything, there was no stopping her.

"Like  _you_  could ever win," called a deeper, condescending voice from a few feet away. James flinched, knowing just what those words could do to Jessie's ego. "A hag like you obtaining the Ali'i ka Leilani. Makes me sick. You don't have a single ounce of grace in you."

"What did you say? !" Jessie demanded angrily, whipping around to face her antagonizer. It was a boy, probably a head shorter than her, with a necklace around his neck that was adorned with flower charms. In James' estimation, he looked like he was from a posh family judging from the finery of his clothes that were all too bright. It looked a little garish, particularly with the white ascot sticking out of his blue trimmed, collared shirt. On top of it, his light clothes truly offset his tremendously dark skin, no doubt from days tanning, which was also visible on his legs below.

"I said there's no way a hag like you could ever become the Ali'i ka Leilani," the boy said, turning to look at Jessie with a sneer. "You just don't have the grace or flair, and your companions don't look like they'd help you in that regard."

"Why you little punk!" Instantly noticing Jessie's fit of rage, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet catapulted forward to grab her and hold her back.

"Now's not the time, Jessie!" he warned her harshly. The boy laughed at her, wiping away tears from his eyes like he found the whole thing hilarious.

"Man, you should see your face," the boy said before turning around and walking away. "I'd be surprised if you ever won a single Ceremony like that! Ha ha!"

Jessie continued to struggle against their hold as the nasty boy walked away. When he finally faded from their sight into the city, Jessie finally slackened in their grip. Feeling it was okay to let go, the three males did so, but watched her with concern. For a while, she didn't say anything, and James started to worry that she'd actually taken the rude boy's words to heart.

"That little rude twerp…" she grumbled out. "I'll show him…I'll become the Ali'i ka Leilani and kick his sorry butt. And in order to do so, I'll just have to steal the twerp's Pikachu and become the best competitor that Alola has ever seen!"

"Da twoip? Really?" Meowth asked. This nearly earned him Jessie's ire, or at least her glare. "How can we go after da twoip if we don't even know if he's in the same region!"

"Well…" James said, eyes sliding over to Meowth. He hadn't wanted to say it aloud, but Jessie clearly had no problem doing so.

"Because, it's like we told him before: we're always connected. Wherever we are, he's sure to be there," Jessie pointed out, the smirk back up and running on her face. "So, here's how we'll get Pikachu."

* * *

The morning dawned crisp and clear in Iki Town, Ash found, invigorating him with a full sense of life. Maybe it was the ocean breeze, or maybe it was something else. For all he knew, it could have been the Z-Ring on his wrist, glittering in the sun while they ate breakfast on Hala's porch. The man himself appeared to be absent from their morning activity, something which all of them wondered at until Kukui explained that he had likely gone to the Mahalo Trail.

"Where's that?" Ash asked the professor while he petted Rockruff.

"The place you met Tapu Koko at last night," Kukui explained. Ash nodded, understanding. He still felt like the previous night had been some sort of dream. Heck, he was starting to feel like the whole day that they had been in Alola was like a dream and he'd wake up in a school somewhere with Serena saying she was off in another region. He was glad that it wasn't. "So, Ash, excited about finally taking part in the trials?"

"You bet I am!" Ash exclaimed, nearly knocking over a glass of orange juice. Serena stopped it from spilling. "I'll have lots of battles and meet lots of new Pokémon!"

"Well, you're real fired up then! I'll have to see you off from Hau'oli City."

"You won't be coming with us?" Clemont asked, moving his glasses up a little.

"Nah, got work to do!" Kukui admitted, winking at them. "That and I've gotta find Lillie, my assistant. She has a bad habit of wandering off sometimes…though I don't blame her. My research can get a little…rough. I'll drop in from time to time, though. Have plans to see your first trial and maybe the upcoming Leilani Ceremony."

"Rock!" Rockruff barked out, almost like she was laughing at the professor. Ash laughed along with her, petting her fur absentmindedly. His mind briefly traveled back to the previous evening. Gladion had been looking for someone called Lillie. He still felt he'd made the right choice in not telling him about her, for whatever reason that was.

Shaking his head, Ash ignored those lingering thoughts and instead turned them all to the adventure ahead of him. Grinning, he downed his breakfast and the quartet quickly packed, ready to set back off for Hau'oli City again. By the time they were ready to depart Iki Town, Hala had returned from his little venture, mumbling something about "giving and taking those darn stones". Ash ignored that, as did the Kahuna himself.

"So, your Island Pilgrimage begins…" he almost chuckled out, folding his arms across his chest. "I look forward to a true battle against you when you return here."

"So do I," Ash told him, pumping his fist. "And we're gonna win that time!"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. The others all laughed around him at his positivity and Hala appeared to agree. After a brief moment of seeming deliberation, the Kahuna held his hand out. Ash reached over and shook it.

"Then, until we meet again, Ash." The raven-haired trainer nodded and thanked Hala. Then, sucking in a deep breath, he turned around and began to lead his friends and Professor Kukui down the slope back to Hau'oli City.

It wasn't long before Hala was a mere speck, waving at them from a distance. Hitching his bag on his shoulders, with Rowlet resting all too comfortably inside, Ash turned his gaze back to the forest they were now entering. Bonnie was surprisingly quiet, carrying Rockruff as they walked through the forest and Dedenne slept in her bag. It appeared that she wasn't all too happy about not being awake for the exciting events last night. Clemont, too, was silent…well, as silent as he could be. Rotom appeared to do all the talking for him.

"I just want to see the specific components that make you work!"

"Rotom is not a plaything! Rotom is a higher being of intelligence!" Clemont had Rotom proceed to whack him on the head for that, which then caused the inventor to slam into a branch. The Ghost type appeared to laugh at that.

"So, Professor, what does Ash need to do for his first trial?" Bonnie asked, looking up at Kukui as he walked alongside them. The professor removed his glasses a moment as he grinned down at Bonnie.

"Couldn't tell you," he answered.

"Aw, come on!" Bonnie whined. Kukui had a laugh at that, patting Bonnie on top of her hat.

"I actually  _couldn't_  tell you. Ilima is the trial captain and the one who will be setting the trial for Ash. I wouldn't know what he's got planned for him. All I can say is that it'll be held in Verdant Cavern, to the north."

"Verdant Cavern…" Serena mused, flipping open her tablet and clicking on the map. After a few seconds, she seemed to find just what she was looking for, well before a distracted Rotom who couldn't seem to be bothered with its map function. "Ah! It looks like it's a couple days' journey from here. We'll be passing by Pua Town before then."

"Well, looks like your first Ceremony will be up before my trial then!" Ash told her excitedly. "You'll win your first Lei and then I'll complete my first trial! It works out better that way, too. I don't want to know about the trial before I do it."

"That's the spirit! Speaking of your trial…" Ash looked up at Kukui's words, noticing that they were now exiting the forest (with Clemont nursing the bruise on his head). Before them was the Pokémon School, only, a woman appeared to be outside it, like she was waiting for them to appear. "Yo, Principal Asuka!"

"Professor," the woman said. Approaching the school, Ash noticed that the woman was dressed professionally in a pantsuit, her features hard and fierce. It was certainly befitting (somewhat) for a woman who ran an entire school. "I'm surprised you got here as fast as you did. I wasn't expecting you for another hour or two, given the way you always used to act during class."

"Well, Ash doesn't seem to like to wait. Kinda reminds you of someone, huh?" Kukui laughed out. The woman, Asuka, turned her head to observe Ash for a moment. He wanted to almost recoil under the gaze, but eventually she smiled and stepped forward towards him.

"Ilima only left recently," she began to explain. Ash's eyes shifted over to Kukui, who appeared to nod, like this information was the important thing. "He wanted me to pass a message along: meet him at Verdant Cavern. He'll be there for your trial."

"All right," Ash stated. The principal nodded, her message having been delivered.

"Any of you care to come in for a drink before you depart, then?" Asuka offered. Ash gripped the straps of his backpack tighter, and he could see the others around him all move close, as though agreeing with his notion of wanting to move forward with their journey through Alola.

"Looks like the answer is a 'no' to that one, principal. Though I can join you once I've seen them off," Kukui told the woman. She nodded once more, accepting his answer and turned heel, doing a power walk straight back into the school. They watched her go for just a moment. "Hm, well, guess it's time you get going, huh?"

"Ruuuu…" whined Rockruff from Bonnie's arms. She suddenly leapt from her arms and seemed to circle around all of their legs, rubbing up against Ash affectionately. The raven-haired trainer bent down, petting her fur and scratching her behind the ears.

"Hey, it's all right, Rockruff. We'll see each other real soon," Ash told her.

"Ruff!" she barked back excitedly and proceeded to lick Ash's face a little before going around to all of the others. Ash straightened and looked to the Professor.

"I'll see you off," the older man told them.

"Wait!" Bonnie said in between giggles from Rockruff licking her. "We should call daddy!"

"Oh! You're right!" Clemont said, his own voice exhibiting surprise and shame all at once. "In all the excitement yesterday, we didn't let any of our parents know we had arrived safely. Which also reminds me, Professor Kukui, where is Mount Hokulani? I'm due to install the Inter-Regional Communications System there."

"Then you're a long way off from that, cousin. Hokulani is on Ula'ula Island," the professor instructed Clemont. The inventor nodded, sighing a bit.

"Guess I'll have to tell the League they'll need to wait a while…oh well…"

"Rotom would feel bad for Clemont, but Clemont tried to take Rotom apart," Rotom snapped at him. Bonnie rolled her eyes while Ash decided to walk forward, taking steps back into the main part of Hau'oli City.

"Well, no use sitting around! Let's contact our parents and get moving, huh?"

"Right! I can't wait to get to Pua Town!" Serena cheered. Ash couldn't see it, but he had a feeling that all three of her Pokémon were excited as well about the adventure ahead. He did wonder if she'd had a chance to tell them all yet, though. Shaking his head from the details, Ash grabbed onto Serena's hand and ran forward, leading their group en masse back into Hau'oli City.

Their trip didn't last very long.

A mechanical hand suddenly shot out of the sky, and before Ash knew it, Pikachu was grabbed, being hoisted into the air and towards a giant, and unfortunately familiar, balloon in the sky. Just to confirm his theory, however, Ash decided to ask, with a grimace on his face, "Hey! Who's taking my Pikachu? !"

"Prepare for trouble, it's an Alolan Bash!"

"And make it double, you're about to get smashed!"

"Oh no…" Bonnie groaned out, rolling her eyes. Next to them, Kukui appeared rather bemused by what was unfolding before them. "Not them again…"

"They're persistent," Clemont said. Ash just folded his arms; he had  _hoped_  that their clear and ever-present stalking of him would have been an issue resolved back in Kalos. Clearly, it wasn't the case.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"They're gonna keep going, aren't they?" Serena asked, and she almost sounded amused as she fingered her pokeball. Kukui continued looking clueless while Ash turned his head back, ignoring Jessie and James before him.

"Rowlet, buddy, I'm gonna need your help," he said to the dozing bird. Said owl's eyes popped open and he shot out of the backpack without a moment's hesitation.

"Jessie!"

"And James…"

"Team Rocket blast off with Alolan sunlight!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a sandy fight!"

"Meowth, dat's right!"

"Wobbuffet!" Ash looked back up at them, glaring as he saw Pikachu now encased in one of their electronically produced boxes, trying to send out a Thunderbolt to break it, but failing. He stepped forward, growling up at them.

"Team Rocket!" he snarled out at them. "So you guys are in Alola, too? Here I thought I'd gotten rid of you when you didn't even try to crash my birthday party…Give me back Pikachu!"

"Waah waah, finders keeper, losers weepers," Jessie taunted.

"And boy did we find ourselves a keeper!" James snickered in return. Bonnie suddenly pouted angrily, mumbling something about them stealing her line. As she did so, Ash scanned the area. He really didn't want to deal with Team Rocket interrupting their quest, and tried to search for a way to stop them as quickly as possible.

"Wait, wait! What's this about the twerp's birthday and us  _not_  being invited?"

"I think we'd have made great party guests," James concurred. His words only seemed to draw the line of confusion in further for the professor standing with them.

"Uh…who's Team Rocket?" Kukui asked. Clemont was the one to step forward and answer.

"They're a bunch of Pokémon thieves that are always following us," Clemont told him. "I never expected that we'd have to deal with them when we came to Alola."

"We're like a bad penny smart twerp! We always show up! And our plan is perfect!" Jessie remarked, tacking on a laugh at the end.

"You mean your plan to use Pikachu and catapult to da top of da Ceremony world?" Meowth asked, and Ash felt that his tone sounded rather disbelieving. "Or da plan to wait until we saw da twoip and den use a hand to nab Pikachu. 'Cause it wasn't much of a plan, Jessie."

"So wait…these guys are like Team Skull, then?" Kukui asked. A loud clattering was heard up above in the Meowth balloon as James suddenly leaned forward.

"What do you know about Team Skull, shirtless man? !" he demanded furiously.

"What do you want to know?" Kukui chuckled out. "They're a bunch of low-down crooks who do nothing but try to take people's Pokémon. Just a bunch of guys who failed their own Island Pilgrimages and decided to be thieves instead of making something of their lives. General nuisances that no one takes seriously."

"Hey, don't compare us with those losers!" Jessie snapped back.

"Stop trying to take other people's Pokémon, then!" Serena yelled back, finally tossing her pokeball upwards. Braixen emerged in a flash of light, her stick already on fire and ready for the action.

"Right, Rowlet, I choose you!" Rowlet gave a loud chirp and flew forward, flapping in the air above Braixen before landing calmly on her head. The Fox Pokémon looked up, confused.

"Kurrr!" Rowlet greeted her. Braixen continued staring up for a while before smiling. In fact, everyone seemed to be staring at Rowlet's rather odd position. Even Team Rocket continued to stare, prompting Jessie to turn to her blue-haired partner-in-crime.

"James, what's the twerp's new Pokémon?"

"Hmm…" James answered and he lifted his wrist, as though hoping to actually look it up. He stopped before he could though, as if frozen in time. So were Jessie and Meowth, now that Ash thought about it. Wobbuffet, meanwhile, had placed his big blue hands by his mouth. As if horrified, James lifted his wrist and Ash saw something attached to it, gnawing at his bracelet, some string now visible from the back of the bulbous Meowth balloon.

"Not this thing again!" Jessie screeched. Ash squinted, lifting his hat up just a little and now saw the thing for what it was: a Pokémon. And it was one he'd seen earlier, no less.

"Rotom, what is that thing?" Ash asked of his new Pokédex, pointing up. Rotom, with no fear of Team Rocket or the Pokémon that seemed to be attached to their bracelet, flew up and decided to snap a picture. Ash's eyes widened, as did Clemont's, impressed by Rotom's ability to take pictures in its new form.

"Grubbin, Larva Pokémon," Rotom spoke, causing Team Rocket to divert their attention from the Grubbin on James' arm. "They often gather near places frequented by electric Pokémon in order to avoid being attacked by bird Pokémon."

"I get it…" Clemont commented. "This Grubbin must be attracted to the electrical wizardry of James' bracelet device! It must be a rather impressive piece of technology!"

"This isn't the time to be admiring Team Rocket!" Bonnie scolded her older brother, but when Ash looked to Clemont, it seemed he didn't care. If anything, he was fascinated by the proceedings before them.

"And it's time for this annoying pest to take a hike!" Jessie snapped. She instantly grabbed on to Grubbin and began trying to pull it off James' arm, though to no avail. "Stop interfering with our plan of stealing Pikachu!"

"Hold on, Pikachu, we'll get you out of there!" Ash told his best friend. Pikachu sent his affirmative from within his box. Rotom floated back down.

"Rotom reads that Rowlet knows Tackle, Peck, and Leafage!" it answered positively. Ash had no clear idea of what Leafage was, but that was fine by him.

"Rowlet, use Leafage!"

"Braixen, Hidden Power!" Rowlet flew upward and numerous leaves, glowing green, surrounded his figure, almost like a Leaf Storm. Then they flew out and, like a cyclone, began to circle the balloon. At the same time, the streaking silver orbs of Hidden Power darted through a gap in the leaves to rock the balloon.

"Not fair! Gourgeist, Shadow Ball!" Jessie commanded. Gourgeist, as familiar as ever, floated forward, a Shadow Ball forming.

"Now, use Peck!" Ash commanded. Rowlet zipped forward, just as fast as he had yesterday, his beak shining brightly, almost consuming his entire little body. The Shadow Ball fired. "Dodge it!"

"Kuroh!" Rowlet cried, rolling to the side and then plunging into the leaves, straight through the balloon's surface. He then came flapping back around and grabbed ahold of the box Pikachu was in before making a beeline for their group.

"Hey, give that back!" James yelled at them, only for Ash to notice that Grubbin was no longer on his wrist. It was now on the box, gnawing furiously away at the little device that was keeping Pikachu contained. Rowlet fluttered down to them, unaware of his extra passenger, just as the power to the device cut out.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out happily, dropping safely to the ground.

"Great job, Rowlet!" Ash called to his new Pokémon. Rowlet seemed to blush, pleased with the praise, before diving once more into Ash's backpack. Turning, Ash looked to his girlfriend, who nodded back. "Now, Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Oh, come on!" Jessie yelled, but it was too little, too late. Pikachu had already stored up his electricity and sent it flying right alongside Braixen's Flamethrower. "We're barely a couple hours into Alola and  _this_  is happening? We're better than this."

"Dis is your fault, Jessie," Meowth said, folding his arms right before the attack could hit. "You're da one dat wanted to nab Pikachu."

"I wanted to get started on our job, but it doesn't really matter…" James sighed out. Then the combination landed, exploding the balloon to pieces and sending Team Rocket flying off into the air.

"Cause we're blasting off again!"

"Wobbuffet!"

Just like that, Team Rocket seemed to disappear like a twinkle in the sky. Pikachu returned to Ash's shoulder happily and he scratched his best buddy behind the ears. Serena returned Braixen for the moment with a thanks, and they turned to Clemont and the others.

"Uh…Clemont…" Serena commented upon catching sight of the same exact thing that Ash did. Clemont was fidgeting back and forth while Bonnie had fallen onto her back, laughing. The Grubbin from earlier was no long attached to Team Rocket's side, but was instead crawling all over Clemont, examining and gnawing at every inch of the inventor's backpack while he tried to brush it off. Of course, Bonnie wasn't the only one laughing. Rotom looked to be enjoying itself a little too much.

"Now Clemont knows how Rotom feels!" Rotom laughed out, zipping around the area with its facial expression on its screen showing one of pure mirth.

"I just can't get it off!" Clemont exclaimed in exasperation. Grubbin continued to paw at his pack and Ash could see parts of it sparking. His Aipom arm suddenly shot out randomly, with Kukui barely avoiding its grip as it flopped around. "Hey! Stop that!"

"Grub grub…" Grubbin replied, almost sounding…happy? It was like he'd found an experience that he didn't want to let go of.

"No, you'll short-circuit it!" Clemont yelled at the Larva Pokémon before suddenly having the brilliant, and very hasty, idea of ripping his backpack from his shoulders and tossing it a few feet away. Grubbin remained with it, happily covering every inch of the backpack. Ash watched it go alongside Pikachu, the little one roaming over every single nook and cranny it could find while the Aipom Arm continued to whip around wildly. "If this thing keeps going, I'll have to build a new pack."

"Ha ha, look Clemont, your inventions explode even if you don't do anything with them!" Bonnie laughed out, continually kicking her legs up and down with glee. Ash wasn't sure it was the best policy for the little girl to take. Clemont ignored his sister and her somewhat scathing comments.

"All right, I can't let you ruin my pack anymore! Bunnelby, let's go!" Clemont cried. Bunnelby emerged from his pokeball, ready for a battle. "Use Double Slap!"

"Bunby!" Bunnelby cried, bounding forward towards Grubbin. The Bug type didn't even see the attack coming as Bunnelby's arms slapped against it, making it fly off the pack. Grubbin wasn't done with his fun, however, and as he tumbled through midair, he spat out a String Shot that bound Bunnelby's ears together.

"If we can't use your ears, then use Wild Charge!" Clemont called out. Serena flinched next to Ash, and even he could agree that the move seemed like overkill. Grubbin clearly thought not as his own body sparked with electricity and met Bunnelby head on, the colliding Electric attacks showering onto the surface of Clemont's pack. "Interesting…it knows Spark."

"Grubba grub!" Grubbin cried out, landing once more on Clemont's pack, pinching its pincers together, almost like a challenge. It was strange…almost like Grubbin  _wanted_  to battle Clemont. Maybe it was for control of his backpack, or maybe…

"I think Grubbin wants to see if you can catch it," Kukui commented before Ash had the chance to finish his thought. "At the very least, it likes your backpack."

"Really…?" Clemont asked in genuine surprise. Bonnie finally ceased her laughing and managed to stand up, herself. Dedenne emerged from her bag and climbed to the top of her hat while Rockruff started barking loudly. Ash looked to Grubbin, who was staring down Bunnelby as he clicked his pincers.

"Go for it, big brother! Catch that Grubbin!" Bonnie cheered loudly, Dedenne instantly agreeing with her. Clemont seemed to blink, as though unable to believe it, but when he looked to Ash and Serena, the both of them nodded. It took a brief second, replete with Grubbin and Bunnelby in their stare-off, before Clemont adjusted his glasses.

"Guess we'll have to do our best, then! Bunnelby, use Dig!" Clemont ordered. Bunnelby hopped upwards, spinning before diving under the ground, clots of dirt flying upwards. Ash turned his own attention to the battlefield as Grubbin continually watched and waited, furiously defending its current conquest that was Clemont's backpack. "Now, Wild Charge!"

"Bunnnnnel!" Bunnelby cried. The ground blazed with a bright yellow light and slammed right on the side of the backpack. Bunnelby emerged from the ground, showering Grubbin with sparks. The bug seemed unaffected, but that only lasted a second before it once more blazed with blue electricity, as though it were warding off the attack. Bunnelby arced over the backpack, slamming into Grubbin powerfully. He was pushed back, but seemed just fine, scuttling for the backpack yet again.

"Now, Mud Shot!" the bespectacled inventor ordered without missing a beat. Ash nodded his head. It had been a long time since he'd truly seen Clemont battle so fiercely when the battle didn't involve himself as well. He could really appreciate the Gym Leader's skill at moments like this. Bunnelby, like his trainer, didn't stop for a second, bounding over the backpack and summoning the globules of dirt to his now free ears, flinging them powerfully. All of the orbs struck Grubbin, sending it onto its back. "All right, go, pokeball!"

"Yeah, go for it, Clemont!" Ash cheered. Next to him, Serena had her hands balled into fists, clutching at her shirt, almost like she was praying. Bonnie was jumping up and down as the pokeball hit Grubbin, turning him into a swirl of red light before going into the pokeball. It dropped to the ground and shook…and shook. Ash and Pikachu leaned in, peering carefully at the ball as it continued shaking before, finally, it stopped. Sparks and stars shot out from the pokeball as it stopped shaking: the sign of a successful capture.

"You did it, Clemont!" Serena cheered happily, clapping her hands together. Clemont appeared to heave in relief before he walked forward, Bonnie right behind him. Finally, the siblings reached the now inert pokeball and Clemont picked it up. As he turned back around, Ash could see the unadulterated grin on his face.

"It's a great success that makes science shine! I caught a Grubbin!"

"And we'll keep it!" Bonnie cried, jumping up into the air alongside her brother happily. The sounds of applause rang out as Kukui walked forward, clapping his hands together in congratulations.

"Very nice, cousin," Kukui said. "I'm sure you and Grubbin will be great partners, Clemont. After all, Grubbin  _does_  evolve into an Electric type, and I could tell just how into that type you are."

"Really?" Clemont asked, now even more firmly excited than before. He quickly looked down to the pokeball in his hands as Bunnelby hopped over to him, looking up in joy for the new member of their family. "Grubbin, please bear with me, okay?" The pokeball nodded, and Ash looked to Pikachu.

"Pika!" he said, agreeing with the look they had shared. Despite the odd and random encounter, there was no doubt that Clemont and Grubbin would be the absolute best of friends. Pumping his fist enthusiastically, Ash grabbed ahold of Serena's hand as he looked up at Kukui.

"Well, we should get going to the Pokémon Center and say hi to our parents. I bet mom would love to meet Rowlet," he told the professor.

"Our dad would probably like to see Grubbin as well," Clemont noted. He took out his pokeball. "Thanks for the battle Bunnelby."

"Bun!" Bunnelby said, allowing Clemont to return him to his pokeball. Tucking both pokeballs safely away, Clemont bent down to grab his still sparking backpack and hitched it on his shoulders. Grinning at the group over his success, Clemont turned around, as if prepared to lead the group to the Pokémon Center himself.

"Um…Clemont? Is that normal?" Serena asked, gripping Ash's hand tighter. At her words, he looked closer to what she could be speaking about, but it wasn't very hard to miss. Clemont's backpack looked almost haywire now, countless little sparks from Grubbin's activities and the subsequent battle shooting off in every which way.

Then came the smoke, pouring out of the port the Aipom Arm was hanging loosely out of. Ash stepped back, and then Clemont's backpack exploded, covering the two siblings in acrid soot. Kukui was the first one to react. "Whoa, now, what was that about?"

"Another day with Clemont's inventions," Bonnie coughed out, emerging from the smoke cloud. She was dirty, but otherwise no worse for the wear. Kukui looked torn between wanting to laugh and looking concerned at what had happened. Ash worried for Clemont a moment until the smoke cleared away to show him standing there, hair frizzed…in nothing but his underclothes, his jumpsuit having fizzled away from the explosion.

"Clemont!" Serena shouted, taking her hand away from Ash's and covering her eyes. The blond inventor looked down and eeped, completely embarrassed from being so exposed in public. Ash had to wonder why; his inventions had always blown up before, but they had never left him without clothing. Though, most of all, he didn't understand why Serena was freaking out about it. "I think you need some new clothes."

"Yeah, but why are you covering your eyes, Serena?" Ash asked her bluntly. The question seemed to have piqued Bonnie's interest. "I mean, you see me in my un-"

"That's a totally different thing, Ash! You're my boyfriend!" Serena screeched in the highest pitched voice he'd ever heard from her, one usually saved for Miette. At the same time, she slapped her hand over his mouth and turned to look at him so she didn't have to see Clemont looking so awkward.

"Oh…what's this about seeing Ash in his-"

" _Bonnie_ …" Serena said in a dangerously low voice, to the point even he got shivers. The whole conversation being fraught with tension, it was suddenly broken by Kukui laughing gaily.

"Ah, come on, no worries, cousins. We'll just find Clemont some new clothes. Not a problem," Kukui told them, placing a hand on Bonnie and steering her towards her brother. "Ash, Serena, why don't you all head on over to the Pokémon Center. We'll catch up when we've found some good clothes for Clemont."

"It's really not necessary…I'm sure I can repair my jumpsuit, or just fabricate a new one," Clemont said. He didn't have any choice in the matter as Bonnie had gripped his hand to pull him along while Kukui ushered him forth.

"No way, Clemont! I'm choosing your clothes this time, and you're going to look super handsome for when Korrina sees you again!"

"But Bonnie…" Clemont's complaints became lost in the distance as the trio moved away towards what Ash presumed was a clothing store. When Clemont had faded from sight, Serena finally removed her hands and slipped them back into Ash's. The raven-haired trainer instantly took that as a sign that it was time to go to the Pokémon Center. Shaking his head at the eventful first two days in Alola, he gripped her tighter and began taking her through the streets of Hau'oli City.

"You coming, Rotom?" Ash asked of the floating Pokédex behind him. Rotom seemed to splutter a bit with static before floating after them.

"Rotom is excited to see Professor Oak again!" Rotom told the two of them as they proceeded into the now bustling streets of Hau'oli City. "Rotom asked Muk to take good care of him!"

"I'm sure you did, Rotom," Serena giggled out. It was no surprise to Ash; somehow, he felt like those two enjoyed playing around with the poor professor more than was healthy. Professor Oak would likely relax far more with Rotom on their journey with them; though he couldn't say the same for themselves.

"You know, I'm surprised you didn't go with them to help get clothes for Clemont," Ash said to Serena as they saw the Pokémon Center approaching. "You always have an eye for fashion."

"True, but Bonnie knows what she's doing," Serena told him. "And besides, I want our moms to know how we're doing. We're about to set off on our next adventure, after all!"

"Good point!" A minute after this, the two, Pikachu and Rotom were striding into the already busy Pokémon Center. Ash hadn't had a chance to look at it the last time he'd been here, but he now noticed how different Alola Pokémon Centers looked, compared to some of the others he'd been in. Sure, through the window, it seemed that there was a battlefield outside, but the inside was what seemed so different. It was positively bustling with trainers and other people, no doubt due to the tiny little refreshments area that was set up in a corner of the Center, serving numerous people as they woke up for the morning.

"Looks like the phones are free," Serena pointed out to Ash. He nodded and they made their way over. Ash gingerly placed his backpack down, making sure that Rowlet (who seemed to love to sleep a lot) didn't waken. Leaning forward, he punched in the Kantonian area codes and his house phone number. It rang for a couple seconds before the image on the screen lit up to reveal his mother, a bandanna on her head as it seemed she and Mimey had been cleaning.

"Oh, Ash! Serena!" Delia said, quickly taking her bandanna off and seating herself upon the couch. "It seems you've both arrived in Alola."

"Sure have, mom," Ash told her with a grin. "Sorry I didn't call sooner. Yesterday was pretty packed. I even got my first Pokémon in the region already. Say hi to Rowlet!"

"Kurrrrrrr…" Rowlet snored out once Ash had lifted him out of the bag.

"He looks adorable, Ash. How about you, Serena?" Delia asked kindly. Serena seemed to tuck some hair behind her ear as she leaned in to answer.

"I don't have any new Pokémon yet," she admitted, "but I do have a plan for my travels through Alola."

"Oh? Hold on a moment," his mother said to them, holding up her finger. Ash took the moment to place Rowlet back in his bag while Serena seemed to call Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon out of their pokeballs. They all greeted her happily while Ash watched the screen change. It was no longer just his mother's face on the screen, but that of Serena's as well.

"Mom!" Serena called as Grace smiled up at her. "Ah, sorry I didn't call to tell you I was leaving. It was so short notice."

"It's fine, Serena," Grace admitted waving it off. "You've become a fine and independent young woman. No need to tell me everything about your actions." Serena's face lit up, a light dusting of pink settling on her cheeks. Ash grinned at that, slinging an arm around her shoulders comfortably. "It's okay to check in once in a while, though."

"Of course!" Serena assured her mother. "But…it'll be a while before I come home. Ash has decided to take part in the Island Trials, so we'll be exploring Alola together…with Clemont and Bonnie, of course."

"And Rotom!" Rotom insisted, flying straight between Ash and Serena to practically smash himself against the screen.

"Oh my, Rotom, you look so different," Delia gasped out with shock.

"Tell Professor Oak that Rotom will come back when Rotom is done with Alola! Rotom will have many more pra…presents."

"Rotom, come on," Ash said, grabbing the floating Pokédex and yanking him back. "So, yeah, I'm gonna do the Island Pilgrimage and become the Island Champion. I'll let you know how I'm doing, though!"

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu chirped out happily, raising his paw.

"And what about you, Serena, dear?" his mother asked. Serena brought her hands behind her back before turning to her Pokémon, while still facing both of their mothers.

"Well…I want to take part in the Leilani Ceremony to become the Ali'i ka Leilani," she said, and Ash had a feeling it was directed towards her Pokémon as well. "I know that by doing this, I'll grow as a person and a trainer. With those skills, more people will see me perform, and I can bring more smiles to more people, and when I return home, I'll become the Kalos Queen. With all of your blessings, of course."

"Braixen!"

"Sylveon!" the Fairy type agreed. Pancham just opted for nodding instead, folding his arms with a grin. Having gotten her Pokémon's agreements and blessings to work together towards Serena's dream, she turned to her mother. Grace appeared to smile softly and chuckled under her breath.

"The both of you just be safe, then," she said. "Ash, you better take good care of my daughter…in more ways than one."

"Of course!" Ash assured her, thumping his chest proudly. "Besides, we  _both_  look after each other. We'll both return together and be the best couple of all time."

"Or we can try," Serena laughed out. She looked a little embarrassed at Ash's proclamation, especially since some were staring at them. "I'll call you when the Hope Leilani happens, okay, mom?"

"Sounds like a plan." After those promises and a few goodbyes, their mothers went offline, allowing the couple to retreat to a pair of benches near the front of the Center while they waited for Clemont and Bonnie to return. Serena's Pokémon all seemed excited to be taking part in something new that Serena was excited about (and he had to admit, he was excited to see her perform again), though their excitement couldn't match Rotom's. The Pokédex was flying about the Center, taking pictures of any Pokémon it could, along with their trainers. It was only when a muscly man with a Munchlax that tried to eat Rotom snapped at him, that it stopped and returned to their side.

Thankfully, the wait wasn't too long and Bonnie came traipsing through the Center's entrance. Clemont was far slower to follow. In fact, he hadn't even entered the Center by the time Bonnie had reached them.

"No Professor Kukui?" Serena asked. The little girl stopped, adjusting her hat as Dedenne hung on to its edge.

"He and Rockruff are gonna meet us at the edge of town. Something about noticing his assistant, Lillie, in town and wanting to speak with her," Bonnie said with a shrug, like the issue didn't matter. At this moment, she noticed that Clemont had yet to come into the Center, and she turned towards it with a huff. "Clemont, get  _in_  here!"

"This is beyond embarrassing…" Clemont said nervously before he finally stepped in. Ash had to blink in total surprise. He was so used to seeing Clemont completely covered up, that looking at him walking in with completely new clothes was a surprise. Serena clapped her hands together, but Ash could only soak in his attire. Clemont had traded out his blues for yellows. His polo shirt was a slightly muted yellow, with the design of a palm tree near the lapel, trimmed with blue. On top of that, he was wearing beige shorts that came down to his knees, exposing his stark white skin. Topping off the attire was a fedora with a black band that concealed his hair but accented the clothing and brought it together.

"You look great, Clemont!" Ash insisted.

"I bet Korrina would like it…" Serena teased the inventor. Clemont rubbed the back of his neck as Bonnie ran up to him and seemed to decide it was best to drag him over to the phones.

"Speaking of that, we've got people to call." Clemont wanted to protest, clearly, but Bonnie was too much, and Ash saw them soon calling up their father, who remarked on Clemont's appearance and his relationship with Korrina within seconds of picking up. Ash chuckled under his breath and turned to look at Serena, who was flicking through her map.

"Anything interesting?" he asked, leaning back on his hands. Serena seemed to finish and she closed her map, slipping it into her bag.

"Just looking for some date spots," she responded. "Just because we're on a journey doesn't mean we can't go on dates." Ash couldn't argue with that kind of logic, and he nodded to his girlfriend with a grin. "So, I was looking, and there's a really nice spot called the Melemele Meadow that seems like a great place for a picnic. Granting, it's on the other side of the island, so we'd have to wait until my first Ceremony and your trial."

"That's all right," Ash told her, still grinning. "It just means we'll use it to celebrate our first victories."

"Right," Serena said, holding out her fist. Ash bumped against it before leaning forward and giving her a small kiss. When they separated, it seemed like Clemont and Bonnie were just finishing up their call.

"…call the League and tell them it'll be a while before the IRCS is installed?" Clemont was saying. "It's just a long way off, and I want to support Ash."

"No problem, Clemont. Just look after your sister," Meyer was saying on the other end.

"We'll be totally fine, daddy!" Bonnie said. "Me and Dedenne will keep out of trouble and come back, ready to be an awesome Pokémon trainer!" That appeared to be the end of their conversation, because after a final goodbye, Clemont and Bonnie had backed away from the phone. Ash noticed that Clemont's backpack seemed to be fixed again, no longer sparking or exploding. Nabbing his bag from the floor, Ash stood with Serena to join their other companions.

"We ready to go?" he asked the group. Bonnie grinned, but responded like the others by nodding. Tamping his hat down on his head, Ash spun around towards the Center's exit and ran full forward. Serena was right behind him, telling him to go straight down the street. Clemont, to Ash's surprise, was having an easier time keeping up with the group in his new attire, racing for the exit to town. There, Ash saw the figure of Professor Kukui, speaking with someone for a second. It looked to be a girl, familiar to Ash's eyes, but before they could reach him and Rockruff, the girl had bowed, waved, and taken off down the street. "Professor!"

"Alola, cousin!" Kukui called out, waving at them. "You all ready to go?"

"You bet!" Ash said, pumping a fist in the air. Pikachu cheered happily with him, emulating his trainer in enthusiasm.

"It's another adventure!" Bonnie cried, jumping into the air.

"Nothing quite like it," Clemont admitted, slightly adjusting his fedora so that his blond hair peeked out. "I can't wait to start again."

"Definitely," Serena said, grinning from ear to ear. She stepped forward and took Ash's hand. He smiled back and reached out for Clemont's. Bonnie then grabbed onto Serena's other hand, still jumping up and down.

"Well, Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie," Kukui said as he picked up the barking Rockruff, "your Island Pilgrimages begin now. As professor, I look forward to seeing how you grow from the path before you. And always remember: you're never alone. Just as the sea needs the sky, people need each other and Pokémon to know who they are. That's the way of things in Alola!"

"Of course!" Ash said, nodding at the professor while smiling at the puppy that barked at his impending departure. She calmed down before Kukui's last words to them.

"Then go on! All of Alola is waiting!" he cried.

And with all their grins together, the four kept their hands joined as they officially took their first step out of Hau'oli City and towards their next adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And so the adventure finally begins! There was a lot in this chapter, but I'd like to think I found a great way to make it all work. From Clemont's capture of Grubbin to Team Rocket's arrival, and the introduction of a particular recurring character for later. This was the finish of all the setup. I know that at the moment, it doesn't seem like a whole lot is going on, but considering that when compared to my other stories, this is the beginning of a connective trilogy rather than three tied-together stories, you can excuse it…hopefully. Still, now the adventure begins, and you can be sure that there is more action to come!
> 
> Embarking on this long journey is difficult, but having all of you by my side really keeps me going strong. So, until we next meet, Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	6. A Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The adventure has now truly begun! I hope you all enjoy this time we'll have together on Chapter 6! Let's go!

Chapter 6

A Son

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball! Rowlet, use Leafage to defend!"

Ash's commands were enacted in short order. Keeping one eye on his Pokémon during their training, his other kept close watch on Serena and the others setting up a table for lunch. They'd already been traveling through the western route of Melemele Island for over a day, making good time as they trekked along. Serena seemed to be slightly apprehensive, if he could read his girlfriend accurately enough, but kept a smile on her face as she prepared lunch. That was no surprise; the first Leilani Ceremony in Pua Town would be the next day.

"…chu pi!" Pikachu cried, flinging the crackling ball of electricity at Rowlet.

"Kurrrrroh!" Rowlet called out, flapping his wings as a small cyclone of leaves formed around him. Just as Ash had planned, the whirring leaves acted as a momentary barrier. The Electro Ball slammed into the Leafage attack, burning up the leaves and sending them scattering.

"That was awesome, Rowlet! Now, let's use Tackle!" Ash called out. Rowlet flapped around in midair, circling a bit before diving right at Pikachu, talon outstretched. At the side, Greninja was sitting next to Braixen as they watched their training session. Rowlet streaked at Pikachu powerfully. "Wait until he gets close, then dodge, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu called out, agreeing with Ash. He watched as Rowlet approached. Ash flicked his eyes between his two Pokémon, waiting for the potential impact. As he squinted, however, he noticed that something was different about this attack. The air was rippling ahead of itself, almost as if the Tackle was  _preceding_  Rowlet.

"Pikachu, dodge now!" Ash cried out, hoping his order had come in time. Pikachu leapt to the side as a large force impacted with the ground in the shape of a talon. Rowlet stopped short, skimming along the ground without touching, hooting happily. "Man, that was beyond weird…Rotom, do you know what it was?"

"Rotom is checking data files…" Rotom said aloud, circling around the table. Bonnie glared at it, annoyed with this tendency of it, as she sat at the table. Serena dodged one of Rotom's circling motions and placed a box of pokepuffs on the table. "Rotom has it! Rowlet has the ability Long Reach!"

"Long Reach?" Clemont asked in surprise. Serena cast him an interested gaze as she sat next to Bonnie and crossed her legs. Ash caught sight of her leggings and upper legs gleaming momentarily in the sunlight before he put all his attention back on Clemont. "Long Reach is an ability that allows a Pokémon to attack with a physical-based move without even making contact if it wants to."

"Really?" Ash said, contemplating the situation. Rowlet was flapping around in midair, happily cooing while Pikachu watched him. "That's pretty awesome! There's a lot we can do with that! Rowlet, let's go for another round and then we can eat and you can take a nap!"

"Roh! Roh!" Rowlet hooted with joy, fluttering down to face off against Pikachu once again. Ash clenched his fist and grinned.

"All right, use Leafage!" Rowlet flapped his wings once more, flapping them furiously as a mess of leaves emerged and blew out towards Pikachu, faster than even Ash had anticipated. Whether it was from a will to impress him or simply his own happiness at having something "special" about him, Ash was unsure, but he had to admit that he liked how fast Rowlet was moving. "Now dodge, Pikachu!"

"Chu!" Pikachu affirmed, dodging to the side right before the Leafage made contact. Of course, Ash completely underestimated how powerful the impact of the Leafage could be. The cyclone of leaves struck where Pikachu had been, sending a powerful blast of wind outward. Clemont, busy cleaning his Aipom Arm, fell back as Grubbin popped out of his pokeball to spring for him, causing the bag to have a slightly tame explosion. Serena tamped down her skirt as the table wobbled a bit, making Bonnie cling to it. Most importantly, however, was that the box of desserts on the table were blown off, flying away down to the edge of the hill.

"Ash, be more careful!" Serena scolded him quickly.

"Sorry, sorry!" Ash said, smiling at her to try to smooth things over. Clemont sat back up, picking Grubbin off his machine while at the same time, another one of his pokeballs exploded with light, Chespin emerging and running for the case of desserts. He was about to reach them when he suddenly tripped over a rock, knocking into them. Their precarious position on the hill now compromised, the case tumbled and began rolling down the hill.

"Ah! The pokepuffs!" Serena cried. Ash quickly rolled up his sleeves into his vest, subconsciously flexing his muscles.

"I'm on it! Rowlet, after them!" Rowlet hooted and flew straight for the rolling box of pokepuffs. Ash and Pikachu were right behind him as Greninja chose to stay behind. Sliding down the hill, Ash was surprised by how far the case could travel, rolling along until it hit a stone slab inside of a fence-enclosed area. Rowlet was the first to reach it, floating down to grab it with his talons. "Thanks!"

"Koo!" Rowlet hooted before proceeding to hit the ground and fall asleep, clearly tuckered out from training. Ash shook his head with a chuckle before bending down to scoop Rowlet up in the same arms that were holding the basket. Pikachu leapt back up on his shoulder as he straightened, finally getting a good look of the area the pokepuffs had rolled into.

"A cemetery?" he said quietly, as if on instinct. Padding forward, Ash saw that his original observation was correct. There were rows of graves, some adorned with flowers, others with little weeds, as though they hadn't been visited in quite some time. Out of reverence for the spot, Ash hung his head, especially when he saw an older couple out in front of one of the graves.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu commented dolefully. Ash turned his head and smiled at his partner, assuring him that he was all right. Taking further steps in, he could understand why Pikachu was concerned; it had been some time since he had been to a place with graves, and seeing them could have triggered that remembrance. Ash just smiled at it. He could now feel a connection to this place. He understood the pain that people had when they came here.

Gripping Rowlet a little tighter, Ash continued inward, catching sight of a few others at the graveyard. He had to admit he was surprised that there were so many people here, considering that it wasn't all too close to Hau'oli City or any other town, but it seemed to prove just how close to one another the Alolans were. That was something to be admired.

Suddenly, he heard a voice speaking, louder than the others but still quiet, and he turned. There was a boy at a pair of gravestones. He had very tanned skin, and if Ash looked closer, from the way his black hair was tied up, he looked a lot like Hala. Even his bright clothes (well, at least his orange shorts) seemed to show the same kind of colorful affinity, though it was offset by his black shirt. The boy was kneeling before the two stones, the palms of his hands pressed together as two Pokémon were at his side. One looked to be a Pokémon that he had seen in Iki Town, a Litten, he believed it was. The other was a Pikachu, though it was clearly female, judging by the shape of its tail.

"All right, makua, makuahine, I'm about to set off," the boy was saying in a very tender tone, with an undercurrent of excitement bubbling beneath it. Ash could recognize it all too well, feeling the same kinds of emotions in himself before. "Tutu is finally letting me set off on the Island Pilgrimage after all those years of training, and Litten, Pipi and I are totally gonna become the Island Champion. Don't worry, though! We'll bring you lots of malasadas! That's a promise!"

"Merow!"

"Pipi!" Ash smiled at the boy's exuberant declaration. Rowlet began to snore away inside Ash's arms as he watched the boy clap his hands together a couple times before he sprung onto his feet happily. As he did, Ash could see a box of what looked almost like doughnuts sitting in between the graves with some flowers.

"Hey, it's another Pikachu, Pipi!" the boy suddenly exclaimed. Ash looked away from the box to face the boy who was now standing before him. The Litten at his feet was circling through his legs, looking up at Rowlet with a tilted head. Meanwhile, the female Pikachu (Ash supposed her name was Pipi) was on the boy's head, looking at Pikachu with interest. "Alola!"

"Alola," Ash greeted in response, smiling at the boy. "Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

"Nah, no apology necessary! The ohana would love to have guests from time to time, even if it's strangers," he laughed out, crossing his legs and placing his hands behind his head. Pipi appeared to jump off his head and to the ground while Ash felt Pikachu also clamber down.

"Pika?" Pikachu greeted, holding his tail out. Pipi responded by pressing her tail to his.

"Pika!"

"Aw, see! Our Pikachu are already good buddies!" the boy said, grinning. Ash watched him a moment. Even in a place like a cemetery, this boy seemed to exude positivity. In some way, it helped remind Ash of how important it was to put a smile on one's face and move forward. "I'm Hau, by the way!"

"Ash," the raven-haired trainer responded. He held out his hand to shake Hau's but the boy gripped him and pulled him into a hug without warning.

"Nice to meet you, Ash," Hau said brightly before pulling back. "Ooh…is that Rowlet? Did you get him from tutu? Are you a new trainer?"

"I'm not exactly new, but…'tutu'?" Ash asked, a confused little grin on his face. Hau's face dropped a little, but not in sadness. It was more a look of complete and utter shock, soon replaced with a little skepticism.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Ash shook his head. "Ah, well, my tutu is awesome! He's the best trainer on the whole island. Trained me ever since the ohana passed."

"Wait…is tutu…you mean to say…"

"Yep! My tutu, er, grandfather? Yeah, my grandpa is Kahuna Hala. You meet him?" Ash looked down to Pikachu and Pipi now rubbing their cheeks against each other, sharing electricity in greeting. Pikachu seemed to look happy at having a new friend, even when Pipi disconnected and ran circles around Pikachu excitedly. She was just like her trainer: excitable and fast.

"Yeah, I battled him so he could grant me permission for the Island Pilgrimage," Ash answered the boy. Once more, Hau's face dropped.

"You battled him? ! No way! He never battles  _anyone_  who hasn't beaten the Melemele trial," Hau exclaimed in surprise. An old man over on another row shushed him loudly and Hau just grinned in embarrassment. He lowered his voice. "That's pretty cool, though. You must be an awesome trainer, Ash. Tutu is finally letting  _me_  take part in the Island Trials this year, so I hope to battle him soon, myself."

"Oh, so you're doing the trials?" Ash asked, continuing to grin. He felt something brush against his legs and looked down to see Litten purring as it continued to stare up at Rowlet.

"Sure am!" Hau answered, once more, excitedly. "Too bad the ohana couldn't see me off, but once tutu gives me the challenge amulet, I'm good to go. Then I'll beat tutu and get my Z-Ring and become Island Champion." Ash shifted his eyes over to the graves there and his own smile dipped a little. There was no doubt in his mind that Hau's parents rested there. He almost wondered how they died, but felt that perhaps the detail was a little too personal. He certainly still wasn't ready to talk about  _how_  his father had died to anyone who hadn't actually been there. Suddenly, a loud grumbling noise was heard.

"Oh…" Ash said in embarrassment, his stomach churning hungrily. Only, it seemed to be joined by another and he looked up to see Hau scratching the back of his head with the same expression. "Guess we're pretty hungry."

"Totally…I would die for some malasadas right now…" Hau groaned out, now clutching at his stomach. Ash wasn't entirely sure what a "malasada" was, but figured he could still fix the hunger problem. "Too bad those are for the ohana, huh, Pipi and Litten?"

"Merow," Litten responded to him, slinking back over to his side. Pipi also jumped back up, resting on Hau's shoulder as Pikachu returned to Ash's.

"Well, why don't you join us for lunch?" Ash asked, readjusting Rowlet and the pokepuff basket in his arms. "My friend, Clemont, is an awesome cook, and my girlfriend made these awesome desserts. I don't know exactly what a malasada is, but hopefully these'll be a nice replacement."

"Really? !" Hau asked, his eyes shining and his mouth drooling. "That sounds totally awesome…"

"Pikachu…" Pipi said, her own mouth drooling as well. Ash just laughed and jerked his head back towards the direction he had come from. Hau grinned (again) and put his hands behind his head as they walked back towards the site for lunch.

"I was originally gonna run as fast as I could to the Malasada Shop in Hau'oli City, but with lunch, I can take my time," Hau admitted. "See, I'm on my way back home to Iki Town to start the Pilgrimage. I mean, I started it a little differently than most since I got Litten awhile back and we've been together since then, but Pipi was my friend since I was a little kid. So, I really wanted to start the journey together with them after paying respect to my Makua before setting off. That's my parents by the way, since you're not from Alola and all."

"I figured that part out," Ash laughed out and Hau joined in with him. He had to admit, the boy next to him was filled with such an exuberant and lively energy that it made his spirits lift and soar. "So, I guess in some way, we could be like rivals."

"Ooh, that'd be awesome! I've never had a rival…unless you count tutu, but I don't think that really counts, do you?" Hau asked. Ash wanted to come up with an answer for him, but Hau seemed to be in the mood to pump out as much information about himself in as short a period of time. Well…either that or asking questions. "But that'd be totally cool. We can battle and compete against each other, you know, once I actually start. Does that mean you're already on your way to your first trial?"

"Sure am," Ash answered him. He would have thumped his chest proudly, but Rowlet was still in his arms as they began the trek up the hill once more. "Other than a stop-off in Pua Town for my girlfriend, Serena, to take part in the Leilani Ceremony, we're heading straight for Verdant Cavern."

"Girlfriend, huh?" Hau asked. It was the first time his expression was something other than grinning or general happiness. Not that he sounded sad or depressed. It was more thoughtful. "Your parents must be pretty cool to let you travel with your girlfriend. I don't have one myself, but…hmm…"

"What?" Ash asked, stopping his procession forward for just a moment. Hau looked like he was thinking for just a moment.

"Well, I haven't really thought about dating or anything, since I'm  _really_  into my Island Pilgrimage, but there has been this one girl. She's totally super awesome! A little weird, but I've gotten to know her pretty well over the past few months…once she stopped avoiding me, ha ha!" Ash watched Hau's face and noticed how his eyes were lighting up as he spoke about this girl. In some part, he wondered if he looked the same exact way when he thought about Serena. Still, glancing up to see where his friends were, he heard Hau continue on for a moment. "I don't think she could see me the same way, though. She's too into helping Professor Kukui."

"Oh…well, maybe you'll get there," Ash told him. Truthfully, he wasn't really sure of what to tell the boy. Now that he thought on it, he realized that for he and Serena, things had really happened quite quickly (well, maybe to him at least) and had been jampacked ever since then. Casting around for a slight change in topic, Ash just randomly started saying, "But yeah, my mom's pretty cool about letting Serena and I travel together."

"I'm sorry, man," Hau said in response. This prompted a look of confusion from Ash as Hau took another step forward up the hill. "Well, you didn't say anything about your dad, so…"

"Yeah…" Ash said. He walked forward with Hau, but his mind had traveled back again. "My dad died a few months back. It was rough."

"I get you," Hau told him. "Pretty rough for me when my makua died, but then I realized that I couldn't be sad when I had tutu and all my Pokémon supporting me, right Pipi?"

"Kachu!" Pipi agreed. That made Ash feel a little better. More than that, though, he felt a connection with Hau that he hadn't really felt before. They had both experienced the pain of loss and grief, yet both had decided to move forward. Hau was all smiles even when he had no reason to be, and it encouraged him. Finally, the duo and their Pokémon had approached the top of the hill.

"Serena, guys, we're back!" Ash called out. His three companions turned, and all of them had raised eyebrows at the sight of Ash's accompanying, well, he supposed Hau could be considered a friend already. "This is Hau! He's a trainer undertaking the Island Trials like me."

"Alola!" Hau greeted. The others all greeted him with the phrase in turn. "Wow! What is that Pokémon? !"

"Oh, that's Greninja," Ash introduced him. Greninja backed away from Hau's inquisitive nature, and appeared to blush just a little from embarrassment while Braixen laughed next to him. Bonnie suddenly jumped forward.

"I'm Bonnie, and this is Dedenne!" Bonnie told Hau. Hau now whipped around and peered down at Dedenne with a grin. Dedenne also looked up, before deciding that Hau was uninteresting and fell asleep on Bonnie's head.

"Pleasure to meet you, Hau, I'm Clemont," Clemont greeted the boy with a wave of his hand.

"And Rotom is Rotom!" Rotom greeted enthusiastically. Before Hau could really greet it, the Pokédex had floated down and begun snapping pictures of Litten, who swiped out at it testily. Serena finally stepped forward as Ash moved to his backpack, placing the resting Rowlet inside and then the pokepuffs on the table.

"Serena. Are you hungry, Hau?" his girlfriend asked, tucking some strands of her honey blonde hair behind her ear. Ash, for the oddest reason imaginable, swallowed at the sight of it. Shaking his head a little, he cleared his head from the thought. He'd been noticing how he was more captivated by Serena than usual lately. Maybe it was from their six months in Pallet Town, or it could have been other reasons, but in the back of his mind, he did wonder why it was so.

"Am I ever! Ash says you guys are awesome at making food! Ever made malasadas?" Hau asked energetically. Serena shook her head and Ash decided to look away, not wanting to focus on her hair even more than he had been.

"Can't say I have. Do you have any recipes?" she asked.

"Oh, I might have one in my backpack," Hau told her, holding a finger up. He slung his backpack off and began digging through it. It sounded like a veritable mess inside the bag, though Ash had to admit that his wasn't much better (other than always knowing where his Pokémon were). Finally, after a minute of searching, he pulled out a notecard and a pokeball with it. "Here's an awesome recipe that the girl at the malasada shop gave me…she wrote some numbers on there, too, but don't pay attention to those; I don't even know what they mean. Before I forget, though, Ash, wanna have a battle? I've never battled anyone other than tutu, so it'd be great practice for the trial."

"Yeah! Let's do some battling!" Ash agreed, pumping his fist energetically. Pikachu bounded off his shoulder to the ground. "How does a three on three sound?"

"I wanna referee!" Bonnie called, hopping up and down on her feet.

"No, you won't," Serena's scolding voice suddenly called. Hau turned around to face her, titling his head in slight confusion. Ash, on the other hand, pulled his shoulders up in embarrassment. He knew where this was going; it happened all too many times at the lab. "No battling until we've had lunch. You can't battle on an empty stomach, after all, and you've been training since we set up the table, Ash."

"Yeah, I know," Ash laughed out. Pikachu deflated a bit, but perked up at the sight of Clemont bringing out some Pokémon food. Hau leaned down to both Pipi and Litten.

"Pipi, Litten, why don't you join them for some food, all right?" Litten meowed out happily while Pipi joined with Pikachu to go and eat the feast that Clemont was presenting before them, making sure to give Chespin his own fully loaded bowl. With the Pokémon occupied with their meals, Ash and the others all took their seat at the table after pulling a fifth chair out.

"So, Hau, tell us about yourself," Clemont asked of the energetic boy.

And Hau had a lot to tell. Most of it was information he had already heard from the boy at the cemetery. How he was the grandson (or mo'opuna, as he called it) of Kahuna Hala. How he had been set to go on his Island Pilgrimage almost six years ago when his parents had died in a fishing accident off the coast of Melemele. He then launched into his tale about being raised by his grandfather, battling the old Kahuna from time to time, getting stronger alongside Pipi and Litten. Ash enjoyed listening to Hau's animated tales; it continually reminded him how even in the face of loss, there was something to be gained. Bonnie appeared to enjoy Hau's stories the most while Rotom slept through the entire thing muttering things like, "Hau talks too much…"

"So, yeah," Hau said, throwing his hands behind his head and leaning back. He had finished eating at the same time Ash had, and the two boys were sitting back while everyone else finished their meals. "Now I'm just headin' over to Iki Town to start the Pilgrimage officially. How about you guys? Ash mentioned you're taking place in the Leilani Ceremony, Serena."

"Oh, yeah, I am," Serena commented, popping a piece of food in her mouth. "I'm looking forward to the first one tomorrow. I know it's really short notice and all, but it's been a while since my Pokémon and I have done something so exciting."

"Brai!" Braixen affirmed from her spot next to Greninja.

"Sounds super awesome…you know, I even heard that sometimes malasadas are involved…mmm…Tutu once watched the Hope Leilani and I was drooling at the screen…" Hau admitted, patting his tummy. "I'm pretty full now, though. You guys are great cooks!"

"Thanks," Clemont admitted, seeming a little embarrassed.

"No probs, man," Hau laughed out. "So, what are you two on the road for, then? Being from the Kalos Region and all?"

"My big brother is gonna install the Inter-Regional Communications System on Mount Hokulani!" Bonnie cheered out, throwing her hands into the air. Hau's face dropped a little, mouth slackening. "The League asked him to do it and he's real important!"

"Not that important. Really, I want to support Ash and Serena while en route to my own destination," Clemont answered Hau, whose facial expression had yet to change. "They're both amazing trainers, and I want to give them all the support I can give."

Hau continued staring at Clemont before grinning once again. "I have no idea what that all is, but it sounds pretty awesome!"

"You're very excitable, aren't you, Hau?" Serena giggled out, placing a napkin at her lips. Ash grinned, himself, taking a look at the boy next to him. Hau once more stood, pumping both of his fists into the air.

"Yeah!" he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I get to go on an adventure with my Pokémon and meet new friends! What's there not to be excited about?"

"I agree!" Ash said, now standing as well. "And nothing fires me up more than a good battle. What do you say, Hau?"

"I'm up for that!" Hau said and the two trainers reached forward. Only, instead of shaking hands, they happened to give each other a high five (even if it was down below). Bonnie, too, jumped up excitedly while Clemont reined her in.

"Just hold on a minute while we pack up from lunch, okay?" Serena asked, finishing off her meal. Ash nodded and moved in to collapse the table. Both Bonnie and Hau were practically bouncing up and down at this point, even though Clemont was trying to instruct Bonnie on something.

"Just remember, Bonnie. You can't play favorites in calling a result," he told his little sister. Dedenne had scrambled back on top of Bonnie's shoulder while Clemont entertained Grubbin on his own. "This'll be important for when you become a trainer soon, all right."

"Yeah, I got it, big brother," Bonnie said as everything from lunch was put away, clearing the field. Serena did so with Braixen at her side, standing next to Clemont while Ash and Hau took opposite sides of the field. Bonnie stood in the middle, ready to referee. "All right! Three on three, with the winner being whoever has a Pokémon left standing!"

"Yeah! Eevee, let's go!"

"Rowlet, I choose you!" Hau tossed his pokeball into the air, catching it in his hand with a grin before releasing it once more to the air. The capture device burst with light while Ash's owl flapped upward from his bag, rejuvenated from his nap. When the blue light receded, Ash saw the familiar form of an Eevee, pawing at the ground. Serena clapped her hands together, as if thrilled to see another Eevee. "This is our first big battle together, Rowlet! Let's give it our all!"

"You, too, Eevee!" Hau said happily.

"Evui!" Eevee cried happily, crouching down to face off against its opponent. Ash shifted his foot a little as Bonnie lowered her hand to begin.

"Use Tackle!" both Ash and Hau happened to cry at the same time. Rowlet flapped around in the air and then shot for Eevee, his talon extended. Eevee was charging, too, on a collision course for Rowlet. Ash could hear Serena and Clemont conversing as the battle took place.

"Wait…if Rowlet is like before, then…" Serena commented while Clemont nodded. Ash grinned. It was just what he had planned on. Rowlet and Eevee were drawing closer now, but Eevee didn't stand a chance against Rowlet's Long Reach ability.

"Kuroh!" Rowlet cried as the force from his talon struck into Eevee and sent it tumbling back, rolling along the ground. The Evolution Pokémon skidded to a stop. Rowlet stopped his further attack, looking just a little pleased with himself.

"Okay, Eevee, fire back with Shadow Ball!" Eevee once more crouched on all fours, an inky and pulsating orb of shadow forming at its mouth. Then it whipped its head, sending the orb flying at Rowlet. "Rapid fire!"

"Dodge them, Rowlet!" Ash called. Rowlet hooted and dove forth into the now incoming barrage of Shadow Balls. With a flap of his wings he skirted to the right before using the air currents to increase his movement. Eevee was forming them at an extremely quick pace now. Ash could tell that Hau and Eevee had no doubt practiced this move for a while; he was certainly no novice. Rowlet rolled underneath one of the Shadow Balls being fired. "Now, get in there with Peck!"

"Eevee, let's stop 'em!" Hau said. Even in his movements during battle, Hau appeared as animated as possible, jumping up and down while pumping his fists. Ash felt he could match that, clutching his hand into a fist as he raised it up. Rowlet streaked downward, body blazing with light that came from his beak. "Baby Doll Eyes!"

"Evui!" Eevee cried, standing back up. Its eyes suddenly seemed to change, shimmering in the light. It almost looked sad, drawing out a slight tear. Ash wouldn't let that stop him, no matter how vulnerable Eevee looked. It wasn't quite the same for Rowlet, whose Peck seemed to decrease in glow. The attack struck Eevee from a distance, but it hardly looked even scratched from the attack as Rowlet kept drilling forward.

"We got 'em now! Shadow Ball!" Eevee opened its mouth as Rowlet made direct impact. Ash's eyes widened. Given that the attack hadn't had nearly the amount of usual force, it was no surprise that Rowlet had continued on, setting him up for the perfect hit. The orb of shadow formed and fired right off, slamming into Rowlet and flinging him through the air. "Now, Tackle!"

"Eev!" Eeevee cried and it blasted off through the air. Rowlet was on a slow, teetering descent downward from the Shadow Ball hit, and was unable to recover in time to dodge the attack. Eevee slammed into Rowlet, sending him spiraling and spinning through the air. Just then, Hau ordered yet another Shadow Ball.

"Come on, Rowlet! I know you can do this!" Ash called, watching his partner fly through the air. Suddenly, Rowlet's squinted eyes snapped open and Ash grinned. "All right, just like before, use Leafage!"

"Kuuuuu!" Rowlet screeched, finally flapping his wings to get himself upright. With the flap of those wings came a storm of leaves, surrounding the Grass Quill Pokémon in a barrier. The Shadow Ball impacted with the defense, dispersing into nothing. Rowlet once more flapped his wings and sent the sharp leaves hurtling right for Eevee, who had been surprised by its attack being blocked. The leaves slammed into Eevee, driving it right up into the air.

"And use Peck!" Ash called, throwing his fist up and sweeping it out. As the remnants of the Leafage faded away, Rowlet once more began soaring down, his beak glowing. Eevee was in no place to move, however, and before Hau could call out for any command, the force of Rowlet's Peck was hitting Eevee, before being slammed physically by the attack itself. Eevee tumbled to the ground and didn't stir.

"Eevee can't battle, so Rowlet wins!" Bonnie cried joyfully, obviously glad to have seen Ash won. Rowlet also appeared proud of himself, hooting as he flapped around the field. Ash just smiled and looked over to Hau, who was returning Eevee with a grin.

"That was a pretty great battle for both our Pokémon, huh?" Hau asked. Ash nodded; Eevee had been quite the capable battler against Rowlet, and even though his Grass type Pokémon looked energetic, he knew that Rowlet had taken more than his fair share of good hits. "Now I want to try and even the score! Litten, it's time, buddy!"

"Merow!" Litten called out, bounding out from Hau's side of the field. It looked up, watching Rowlet flap around with interest. Rowlet didn't take much notice, but he did stop, as if waiting for Ash's command.

"Let's go two for two! Rowlet, use Tackle!" Ash called. Rowlet once more aimed down, talon first, for the Fire Cat Pokémon.

"Dodge now, Litten!" Hau called. Ash's eyes narrowed in suspicion as Litten pounced to the side. The force of the talon struck into the ground. He  _had_  figured out the timing. As useful as Long Reach was, it was obvious that any prolonged battle with it could be tricky. "Now, Bite on its wings!"

"Row!" Litten roared out, once more bouncing forward, its fangs sharp and its maw wide. Rowlet didn't have the chance to dodge before Litten caught hold of him and sunk his teeth in. Rowlet cried out in pain as Litten began whipping the little owl back and forth before slamming him to the ground.

"Don't give up, Rowlet! Leafage! Blow it into the air!" Ash cried, throwing his hand upward, as if indicating just what his Pokémon should do. On the sides of the field, Ash could see Clemont nodding his head and telling Serena that the move would grant Rowlet some extra leeway, given it would put them both in the air. That was just what Ash was going for.

"Rrrrrroh!" Rowlet cried out. Both his wings were touching the ground, but his cry seemed to generate the cyclone of wind around the both of them. Leaves swirled around, practically enveloping the pair, obscuring them from view. Hau didn't look concerned, digging his hands into his pockets lazily while Ash peered through the brush. It didn't take long for either to move. Wind and leaves blasted upward, carrying Litten with it, becoming visible near the top of the leafy tornado.

"Now, go get it!" Ash cried, punching forward. Litten was scrambling around in the air as Rowlet finally pushed himself up and shot up into the sky after the feline.

"Litten, curl up into a ball and drop!" Hau ordered. Litten meowed and quickly did as Hau asked of it. Just like that, it seemed to gain control of its limbs and began a descent on Rowlet. "Now, Scratch!"

"Rrow!" Litten cried, springing out of its curled up position as it dove into the Cyclone. Rowlet was heading straight for it with no room to dodge. Litten's claws extended and swiped across Rowlet, sending him straight to the ground. The leaves broke as Rowlet hit and bounced along, feebly stirring from the attack.

"Let's finish it with Fire Fang!" Litten touched nimbly to the ground and jumped forward, its fangs wreathed with all manner of flames before it bit down once more and the flames exploded around Rowlet. Ash didn't need to see the result to know what had happened. As the smoke cleared, Rowlet was passed out.

"Rowlet's unable to battle, so Litten won!"

"Makes sense after Litten broke out of the Leafage attack," Serena commented as Ash took his pokeball out and decided to return Rowlet, thanking him for the good battle. Down on the field, Litten appeared to be laughing. "I'm not surprised either…by rolling into a ball, it could control its movements and find the perfect time to strike."

"That was a pretty good move, Hau," Ash called across the field to his opponent. Hau crossed his legs with a smile, his hands behind his head.

"Thanks! Rowlet was pretty great, too," he admitted. He looked down at his own Pokémon, who still appeared to be laughing in between meowing. "Hey, we don't make fun of our opponent for losing, Litten."

"Mrow…" Litten said, not happy about the chastisement. Ash watched the cat slink a bit before turning to Pikachu down at his feet.

"You ready, buddy?" he asked. Pikachu nodded and bounded onto the field. Hau didn't waste any time in commanding the first strike.

"Litten, use Scratch!"

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash called. Litten pounced, like a cat chasing after a mouse, yet Pikachu was unafraid. Litten swiped, but Pikachu jumped back. "Now use Iron Tail!"

"Chu pika!" Pikachu called, spinning around from his position. His tail glowed bright white and slapped out, striking Litten across the face and flinging it away.

"Now use Fire Fang," Hau said. Ash noticed that he didn't look concerned at all; whether he was going to win or lose the battle, he seemed to just be having fun. Ash liked seeing that attitude, but at the same time knew he still wanted to try and win the battle as best as he could. Litten skidded back, but planted itself on the ground before the flames erupted in its maw once more. It ran right at Pikachu.

"Counter with a Quick Attack!" Ash yelled out. Pikachu leaned back a moment before springing forward, his blazing white light sending him on course for Litten. Litten jumped at the last second, aiming for Pikachu's tail. However, as it started to sail overhead, Pikachu rammed upward, the Fire Fang only grazing his tail. Litten flew up, scrambling in the air. "Use Electro Ball!"

"Pika pika pika pika chu pi!" Pikachu called, his crackling orb of electricity summoned at his tail before flinging it off at Litten. The attack collided in a shower of sparks as Pikachu remained on all fours. When the dust cleared, Litten was still standing, but looking woozy on its feet.

"Guess that wasn't enough to beat 'em. Litten's pretty hearty! But we'll take the win. Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash called. Pikachu leapt forward, into the air as he spun around with his tail glowing white once more. Hau called out a command for a Bite as Litten crouched wearily on its feet, waiting for Pikachu's strike. Soon, the strike came as Litten's maw opened and clamped down on Pikachu's tail, holding him in place.

"Yeah! We got him! Now let's use-"

"I think you're forgetting something!" Ash said, grinning at Hau. The boy took on an expression of confusion before his eyes widened. At the same moment, Clemont gave a gasp, as did Serena; they clearly saw just what he was aiming for. "Electro Ball!"

"Ah, man! Should've seen that coming!" Hau cried as Pikachu had a grin on his face. The Electro Ball formed at the tip of his tail, still clamped by Litten. Then it exploded outward and in place. Ash watched as Pikachu flipped back from the dust cloud, landing perfectly. From within the dust cloud, however, there was a loud  _thump_. Hau frowned a little, both trainers knowing the result of the clash.

"Litten's unable to battle! Pikachu wins!" Bonnie cried, jumping up and down. Even though she was clearly rooting for Ash, it wasn't hard to see that Litten was, indeed, down. Rotom floated around Bonnie's head, almost like it was bored with the battle.

"Well, we put up a good fight there. Looks like it's all up to Pipi," Hau said, calling Litten back. At the same exact moment, his own Pikachu bounded onto the field. Despite their early, easy friendship, both of the Pikachu glared at each other, ready for what was undoubtedly the deciding match. Ash knew he didn't have to ask Pikachu if he was ready to continue. It was clear that he was.

"Go, Ash! You can do it!" Serena called, showing full faith in him. Ash just breathed in; he was having a lot of fun battling this boy who seemed to do nothing but smile. Then he gave her a quick thumbs up, ready to battle again.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash called, clenching his fist.

"Pipi, confuse 'em with Double Team," Hau said, bouncing up and down on his heels this time. Ash had to admit surprise at the command. Multiple copies of Pipi appeared all over the field, and Pikachu seemed both confused and shocked, enough to not begin his attack.

"Don't worry about all of them, Pikachu," Ash told his oldest partner. "Use Quick Attack and charge right through them until you find the real one!"

"Pi!" Pikachu cried out and he once more took off like a shot. His body blazing with white light, Pikachu slammed into one of the clones and then the next, rapidly changing direction. Clemont and Serena looked to be watching on, waiting to make any comments as the battle progressed. Pikachu skidded along the grass and then charged forward once again, making way for another clone.

"Now's the time, Pipi!" Hau called, punching both hands into the air energetically. Ash scanned the battlefield, looking for where Pipi would strike from, only for one of the clones to suddenly move and ram right into Pikachu. Pikachu flew across the field, skidding along on all fours.

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. Pikachu's body bristled with electricity and as he pulled to a stop, he let it loose, flying towards Pipi.

"Use Discharge!" Hau called, really getting into the battle now. Their passions seemed to have caught up with one another. Pipi's body also brimmed with electricity, and that electricity shot out in an aura, making dots of sparks in the sky. The Thunderbolt impacted with it and the two attacks canceled each other out, almost glittering down on the battlefield. Turning his head, Ash saw how excited Serena looked from the display. "Keep it going, Pipi!"

"Use Iron Tail to block it!" Ash yelled in return. As Pikachu's Thunderbolt finished, Pipi's Discharge continued, flying out towards Pikachu. He reacted quickly, however, leaping back and slamming his glowing tail on the ground. The dirt flew up and interrupted the attack, the clods of dirt sparking slightly.

"Don't give 'em time, Pipi. Use Brick Break!"

"That Pikachu knows Brick Break? !" Clemont asked loudly in surprise. Ash could admit that he was a little surprised, too, but it would do neither him nor Pikachu any good to panic in the situation. Pipi moved fast, her paws glowing white as she dashed through the dirt and brought her glowing fist down on Pikachu's head, slamming him into the ground before gaining distance between them. Hau punched his knuckles into his palm, cracking them with a grin.

"My tutu is the best Fighting Pokémon trainer around!" he told them all with his grin. "Of course he was gonna help Pipi learn a fighting move."

"Pretty good, I gotta admit," Ash said with a chuckle, rubbing at his nose slightly. "But we have our own tricks up our sleeves, you know? Quick Attack!"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu cried and he blasted forth, once more aiming for Pipi. Ash grinned across at Hau, who grinned right back as he ordered his own Quick Attack. Pipi was surrounded by her own white aura, diving at Pikachu. The two Pokémon collided, blowing each other back before clashing once more.

"They're so fast," Serena noted, watching as Pikachu and Pipi collided time and time again. To anyone else, they could have been seen as white lines zipping around the battlefield, intersecting from time to time. Judging from Clemont's concerned sigh, though, Ash could tell that he and they knew what to look for. Hau was a little faster, though.

"Brick Break! Knock it up!" Hau ordered. Pipi moved fast, coming out of her Quick Attack with a shining fist. Pikachu ran straight for it as Pipi came upward, slamming her fist into Pikachu and knocking him into the air. "Now's our chance to strike, Pipi! He won't be able to counter us effectively in the air."

"You sure about that? Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called, sweeping his hand out. Hau's mouth dropped a little as Pikachu spun in midair and sent a searing bolt of electricity flying outward to impact with Pipi. The female Pikachu buckled under the attack, dropping to a knee as Pikachu began to fall. Ash squinted; Pikachu was starting to look pretty tired. "Pikachu's gotten really good at firing Thunderbolts from midair…and really great at raising his speed. Quick Attack!"

"Pikapika!" Pikachu cried out, using his falling momentum to speed up his attack. Like before, he quickly became a blur of white lines. However, despite his growing exhaustion, Ash could also see Pikachu speeding up, far too quick for Pipi to keep up with. Pipi turned every which way, confused by the appearing and disappearing Pikachu. Hau, however, kept his clear head.

"Don't worry, Pipi. Use Double Team, 'kay?" he said. Pipi took confidence from her trainer and the numerous clones began to appear around the field again, somewhat unmoving as they waited to see where Pikachu would strike from. Ash had different plans.

"All right, Pikachu! Let's finish this! Use Electro Ball and make it real big!"

"Of course!" Clemont cried out, clapping his fist onto an open palm. "Electro Ball gets even bigger the faster Pikachu gets."

"So that means…."

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika…CHU PI!" Pikachu cried. Ash could see yellow now mixed in with the white, and soon, Pikachu had leapt overhead, like a shadow that consumed the Pipi doubles. At the end of his tail was an entirely massive Electro Ball, crackling and pulsing before he flung it down. It slammed into the field, and when the small residue of smoke that resulted from the attack had lifted, all they saw was a singular Pipi, wobbling on her feet. Pikachu landed, and then Pipi slumped to the ground.

There was silence for but a second.

"Pipi is unable to battle!" Bonnie said with the greatest amount of enthusiasm. "That means Pikachu and Ash win!"

"Dene!" Dedenne cheered with exuberance. Pikachu slumped a little following the declaration of victory. Ash laughed and walked forward.

"You all right, buddy?" he asked. Pikachu nodded, though even Ash could tell how exhausted his partner was. Turning his head a bit, he saw Serena approaching him, tossing over an Oran Berry. Thanking his girlfriend, Ash fed it to his brave Pokémon. At the same time, he noticed Greninja standing idly by with his arms folded. "Sorry, Greninja. Guess you'll have to battle another day."

"Nin…" Greninja commented, nodding his head. Glad that was sorted out, Ash turned to Hau, who was picking up Pipi and cradling her. He was still smiling, like he wasn't upset at all that he'd lost.

"You were totally awesome, Pipi," he said to his Pikachu. "They were just faster than us…Your Pikachu is something else, Ash."

"Maybe," Ash admitted. Pikachu seemed slightly recovered now and hopped onto his shoulder. "We've just been together a long time. I trust him like no one else."

"Well, it shows! That was a great battle!" Hau said, walking forward. Ash stood as the boy held his hand out, his face perpetually grinning. He nodded and reached forward, gripping it tight, almost like a promise to battle again. "Shame we lost, but we had fun. That's what matters in a battle, right?"

"Definitely," Ash said. The two rivals moved in towards one another, their eyes gazing towards each other. It was a silent promise, but a promise nonetheless: they'd each go their own way and grow, becoming stronger and stronger before facing one another again, just like rivals would. "I bet you'll be even more of a challenge next time. After all, we're rivals now, right?"

"Totally are," Hau said. Pipi leapt back on top of his head proudly while Hau put his hands behind his head. "But we're friends, too, right?"

"Of course we are!" Bonnie cried, leaping up and down. She looked over to the drooping Rotom, who seemed to have the tendency to fall asleep at Hau's voice, and got a sly expression on her face. "Even Rotom would consider you a friend."

"What? Friends? Rotom does not compute!" the Pokédex called, and even Ash could tell it was lying. Still, he faced Hau once more as their whole group gathered around.

"So, you're heading back to Iki Town from here?" Ash asked. Hau's eyes shot wide and he looked around frantically before dashing for his backpack. Ash walked close to Serena and watched him with confusion as he scrambled around like a madman, gathering his backpack and pulling out a map, like he was checking the time.

"Aw man! I got so involved in the battle I forgot that I had to get to Hau'oli City before the evening! There's a three-for-one malasada special and I promised tutu I'd pick some up for him!" Hau was crying frantically. Pipi shook her head atop the trainer as he searched through his backpack and made sure he had everything he needed. "Sorry, guys, but I gotta get moving. Good luck with your first trial, Ash. I hope we meet again in time for me to watch you battle tutu. After battling you here, that's something I need to see!"

"Well, maybe Hala will send you a message," Ash said, once more clasping his new rival's hand. Hau grinned again.

"I'll ask him, too! See ya around, Bonnie, Rotom, Clemont, Serena! Alola!"

"Alola!" they all called out, but Hau was already racing his way back down the hill, waving to the group of them as his trail of dust billowed out behind him.

"He was certainly an interesting person," Clemont chuckled out.

"Rotom has other words…" Rotom stated while Bonnie pouted at the machine.

"You don't have a sense of humor, Rotom!"

"Of course Rotom does! Why did the Torchic cross the road?" Ash drowned them out, continually staring at the boy disappearing into the distance. Serena was doing the same, and when Ash turned to look at her, he once more found himself mesmerized by her flowing golden locks.

"Guess you're next, Serena," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. She turned to him with a light smile. "Let's get to Pua Town and have you win that first Ceremony."

"Right," Serena stated. Pumping her fists a little, Serena stretched her arms to the sky, her shirt riding up just a little bit. Once more, Ash had to stop his swallowing, replacing it with some chuckles. "Let's get moving!"

"Yeah!" Bonnie called. Ash agreed with the notion, and the trio returned their Pokémon before packing up. Ash cast one last look back, noticing that Hau had now entirely disappeared. Smiling to himself, he realized that it didn't matter. Hau had left a piece of his sunshine behind, and Ash knew he couldn't wait until the day they would meet and battle again. With that happy resolve, he and his friends once more set off on the road for Pua City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sunshine boy is here! I absolutely adored Hau in the games and, honestly, always knew he had to be in this fic. Naturally, he's one of Ash's main rivals, and quite the formidable one at that. Considering that the Ancienverse Ash stems from XY, it would mean that his opponents would also need to be formidable, so I explained that Hau trained with Hala from a very early age, making him a pretty great trainer despite just starting on his journey. However, obviously, Ash is still a cut above him, taking him out 3-1.
> 
> There was quite the bit of exposition for this chapter since I had to introduce another character, but I hope I did it well. I wanted this connection for Hau and Ash through losing a parent and also, just, the two of them being similar to one another. I mean, Hau is just a zanier version of Ash who loves to smile, really. But regardless, I hope you enjoyed the battle as well; it was the first 3v3 battle I had to write, so I hope it turned out nice. Next up is the first Leilani Ceremony!
> 
> All of you embolden me forward. Until next we meet, please do Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	7. A Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to take this moment to remind everybody that this entire trilogy was conceived, planned (and a huge chunk written) before much of the Sun and Moon anime aired. Therefore, things are very different. What does this mean? I'm politely asking you to stop asking about Mimikyu, Bewear and Mareanie…because they're not going to show. Now, that out of the way, time for Chapter 7!

Chapter 7

A Ceremony

Serena couldn't sleep. It wasn't that she didn't want to, or that she was nervous. It was just little things, taking up her brain as she tossed and turned next to Bonnie in their tent, the blonde girl oblivious to the goings on around her. Sitting up, Serena breathed in, steadying herself and hoping it would help her get to sleep.

She sighed, though, knowing that it would be impossible. Too much had happened in the three days since they'd arrived in Alola, and tomorrow was only going to get busier with the first Leilani Ceremony. Emitting one more sigh, Serena unpeeled her sleeping bag from herself and unzipped the tent, stepping out of the tent quietly so as to not disturb Bonnie or Dedenne. The soft sound of the ocean, which could be heard practically anywhere on Melemele, reached her ears and she walked forward, leaving the tent open a little.

Padding forward across the soft grass, Serena came to stand at a point that overlooked the waves lapping against the rocks below. Looking further to the north, Serena could see bright lights in the distance: close enough to be obviously visible, but far enough away that reaching there would have required most of the night.  _Pua City…_ she thought to herself. The sight of the first Leilani Ceremony. The true start to her adventure in Alola.

_I want to see you walk the road of the Ali'i ka Leilani. See your dream at the end._  Miss Akela's words entered Serena's head and she clasped her hands together, as if praying. She couldn't understand what the violet-haired woman had meant by "see her dream at the end". It sounded a lot like what Hala had spoken to Ash, and it left her just as confused. She breathed in.

"I know my dream," she spoke aloud to the surf and starlight. "I'm going to become Kalos Queen and return all the smiles to those who lost them. Just like Reeree."

"And the Ceremony will help you do that, right?" said a soft voice from next to her. Suddenly, she felt someone hugging her from behind, and though she tensed for a moment, she knew only one person would actually be so daring enough to do that (well…two people, but the other wasn't here, thankfully). Knowing that, she relaxed into the hug and nodded.

"That's the plan. Though what's with you, Ash?" Serena asked, reaching over to clasp his hands. They felt warm, and made her own skin feel even warmer through her pajama shirt. "You're not usually this…affectionate."

"I can't hug my girlfriend?" Serena smiled at his answer, but decided to step away from his hold, turning to face him. "I just couldn't sleep. That battle with Hau was really exciting, and knowing he's Hala's grandson got me really fired up. Then I saw you out here and figured you wouldn't mind some company. That okay?"

"Yeah, I really appreciate it," she told him. Nodding, Ash gripped her hand and the two of them sat down on the grass, watching the waves still going back and forth. Pursing her lips together a little, Serena thought of asking a rather daring question; one she never would have asked in any other person's presence. "Ash, have you ever considered where we're going from here?"

"Uh…to Pua Town?" Ash asked, chuckling. She shook her head as she giggled a little.

"No," she insisted. "I mean, you know, the two of us. I love traveling with you, and being with you, but there's gotta be something more to move forward to. Like…a family or something?"

"Whatever you want," Ash told her. She was surprised by that, looking at him as he suddenly wrapped an arm around her. Serena was always surprised by how much more comfortable he had gotten with the physicality of their relationship in the last few weeks. "It's a journey I'm willing to walk with you. But for now, we've got your Ceremony. I know you'll do great!"

Serena didn't say anything in response to that. She just leaned over, cupping Ash's face and kissing him. He returned the kiss, the two falling onto the grass. They only kissed a moment longer, but only so their bodies could finally claim them in sleep, resting upon the field. Neither returned to the tent that night, sleeping next to each other in contentment.

* * *

Dawn came sooner than expected, and though Serena didn't want to, she found herself waking up in Ash's arms from the rays of the sun. Lightly waking him from his snores on the grass, the two returned to their tents before Clemont and Bonnie could awaken, quickly getting dressed. In fact, by the time that the two siblings had awoken for the day, Serena had already made breakfast and gotten to training on her routines with her Pokémon.

"Looks yummy!" Bonnie had exclaimed, herself and Dedenne shoveling their food in. Rotom watched her like she was some beast in the wild and it was recording a documentary. Clemont ate more deliberately, watching Serena carefully. She wondered, in some part, if he knew that she and Ash had slept outside for the night or whether he was worried for her upcoming Ceremony. However, he said nothing, and before long, he and Ash were breaking down the tents, and on the road to Pua Town.

Every step brought the small town on the horizon ever closer, and by the point that it wasn't even mid-morning, Serena no longer needed the map to get to the town. In fact, they were practically on its doorstep, Bonnie running ahead excitedly.

"Look at all the pretty flower fields!" Bonnie jabbered on excitedly. Serena ran forward, aiming to join up with the young blonde girl. The flowers surrounding them really were pretty or just downright beautiful. From hibiscus to rafflesia, it was a complete cornucopia of flowers that seemed to ring Pua Town. It put a nice accent to the small town on the western shores of Melemele Island.

"Rotom…what are all of those Pokémon?" Clemont asked, and Serena turned her head. There were little yellow and white Pokémon fluttering over all the flowers, and as they walked onto the small cobblestone path towards the row of wooden houses, Serena could see the various town residents holding up baskets for the Pokémon.

"Cutiefly, Bee Fly Pokémon," Rotom said, snapping a shot of them from their distance. "It feeds on the nectar and pollen of flowers. Because it's able to sense auras, it can identify which flowers are about to bloom."

"So they're like flower Pokémon in a way…" Ash commented. Pikachu jumped off his shoulder, aiming for the flowers. One of the Cutiefly descended.

"Cutie!" it cried charmingly, whizzing over Pikachu's head in circles. Pikachu pawed at Cutiefly, but it eventually settled on floating to an impatiens and resting there. Pikachu sighed and returned to Ash's side, running alongside him on the ground. Some of the locals raised their hands and waved with a hearty "Alola!" as the quartet proceeded into the center of town.

The closer they got, Serena could now see what looked like a big, open-air building where the Ceremony was no doubt to be held. People, well, townsfolk that weren't working, seemed to be heading there to watch it. Serena picked up the pace, tamping her straw hat down, its ribbon flying out slightly. The cobblestone path split off into paths of sand and dirt. It was such a different place from Hau'oli City. All of the city's streets had been paved, but in this town, just the main street seemed to be. Not that it mattered as the whole place was practically exploding with color. Flowers hung from every place and door while Cutiefly buzzed around and other Pokémon all ran across the roads, doing tasks for the day. It was fitting of a place holding the Leilani Ceremony.

"All right! Let's do this!" Serena said, throwing her fist into the air powerfully. "Time to win the first Lei!"

"Yeah, with your skills and all of your Pokémon, you'll definitely win!" Ash proclaimed, putting a comforting and encouraging hand on her shoulder as they walked into a wider area. It was sort of like a square, but more akin to an assembly spot for the building that would house the Leilani Ceremony (also made of wood, like the rest of the town).

"Plus, Serena's always really pretty on stage, right Ash?" Bonnie asked, slowly sidling back to elbow the raven-haired trainer in the side. Ash looked down at her and grinned.

"Of course she is, but I don't see how it applies to the Ceremony. She has to win it with her Pokémon, right?" he asked. Bonnie sighed, yet also looked content. Serena just giggled, not even bothering to blush from the comment. Ash removed his hand as Serena gave a look to the large wooden building. It was hard to tell from where she was, but if she peered just enough, she thought she could see chairs and a stage, along with something beyond the open stage. Before she could step closer to look at it, a voice interrupted her gaze.

"She won't win like that," the voice said. Serena found herself and her companions stopping, each of them turning to the source of the voice. It was a boy, dressed in fine clothes with dark skin. He was seated on a nearby wooden bench, a Pokémon in his lap that he was stroking. Ash stepped forward.

"Whoa…that looks like a Vulpix but different!" Ash said excitedly. Bonnie's eyes lit up and she came forward with Ash to look at the strange Vulpix that the boy was brushing almost obsessively. Rotom zipped forward, information on the tip of its tongue.

"Vulpix is a different type in Alola!" Rotom said happily. "In Alola, owing to some effects of Mount Lanakila, the Vulpix in Alola are known to be Ice type rather than Fire type. This has been observed in one other species! Rotom will take a picture!"

"It looks so  _cute_!" Bonnie cheered. Both the young girl and machine moved forward, only for the boy to stick his leg out and kick Rotom back into Bonnie. Serena's eyes widened in surprise while Ash moved to catch the two of them before they could fall to the ground.

"No touching Vulpix!" he said nastily. "She doesn't need to have your filthy hands all over her fur. Isn't that right, Vulpix?"

"Vuuul!" Vulpix yawned out, as if completely bored with the proceedings. Serena narrowed her eyes while Ash glared at the boy.

"Hey, that was rude," he said. "All you had to do was say no. You didn't have to kick Rotom." The boy turned his head to Ash, surveying him a moment before sliding his eyes over to Serena and then back again. He shrugged and took out a pokeball, returning Vulpix to it. Then he stood. For a second, Serena thought he was going to go talk to Ash and sneer at him. Only he walked by, completely disregarding him.

"I don't want ugly things near me or my Pokémon…but you, my dear…" the boy said. The sneer on his face had transformed into a smirk by now as he sidled up to Serena and put a hand around her midsection, drooping dangerously low. "You  _could_  have the potential of winning the Ceremony for sure… _if_  you separated yourself from such ugly people."

"Wh-what?" Serena choked out.

"Hey!" Ash shot back, himself and Pikachu having let go of Bonnie and stepping forward defensively. He wasn't the only one. Neither Bonnie or Rotom looked happy at being called "ugly". Clemont seemed to remain indifferent, but he was glaring a little. The boy ignored them all.

"I mean, you've certainly got it: beauty, grace…have someone like me by your side and you and I could be one hell of a pair. I'd even let you be the Ali'i ka Leilani if that's your heart's desire."

"Sorry, but Serena's capable of doing that on her own!" Ash said defiantly. Serena snapped back to reality a little, realizing just where the boy had his hand and she stepped away. "She doesn't need you to become the Ali'i ka Leilani. And besides…she has me!"

"Ash…" Serena said, drawing closer to him. He looked unhappy; it was a strange expression on his face to be sure. For the first time, Serena thought that Ash was actually acting…jealous. "You're right! I  _can_  become the Ali'i ka Leilani. But it's rude of  _you_  to say such mean things and not even give us your name!"

"Of course…how inconsiderate of me, Serena," the boy said, bowing just a little. Serena didn't like the way her name was spoken by the boy, like something to be possessed. Ash put his arm around Serena and seemed to pull her close. She didn't mind, but it was odd to see him so possessive for a moment (though she understood how he felt with Miette trying to make a move every five seconds she used to be around Ash). "It's Keoni, a fellow participant in the Leilani Ceremony."

"Keoni…I'll remember that," Serena said. Keoni appeared to take it the wrong way, bringing a smile to his face. She didn't like the way it looked so leering, as though he felt he had made some sort of advances. Ash's body shifted defensively.

"Glad to know I'll be on your mind then, beautiful," he said before winking at her. "Guess we'll be meeting in the Ceremony then. Alola."

"A-Alola…" Serena muttered in response. Keoni turned around, and with another disdainful look at Ash, stalked off towards the Ceremony Hall. Serena could feel her boyfriend continually tensing next to her, clearly not liking the way Keoni had spoken to either of them. Bonnie stepped forward, grabbing on to Rotom, who was still recovering.

"I don't get it…does he want to be your rival or your boyfriend?" she asked. That made Ash pinch her arm accidentally. He seemed to realize what he was doing and finally let go, wearing an apologetic look. Serena noticed he was glaring, too, and hoped to put his mind at ease by touching his shoulder. It appeared to work; not like she would ever go for someone who mistreated her friends, especially when the one she loved was right next to her. "Well, whatever. He's a jerk. You have to beat him Serena."

"Maybe Serena should get registered first," Clemont suggested. Serena blinked; in the midst of the encounter with Keoni, she'd completely forgotten about it. Shaking her head, she stepped forward, mouthing a word of thanks at her inventor friend for allowing them to move past the situation.

"Good point, Clemont! Let's go!" Serena said positively, walking forward and taking Ash's hand. They'd only made it halfway across the area when a great bird call interrupted. People in the area looked upward and noticed a Pelipper descending. Something was inside the bird's giant beak, barking out at them. "Is that…?"

"Alola, cousins!" Kukui's voice yelled at them. Ash let go of Serena's hand to raise both of his to the sky, waving at the descending professor. It seemed like such a short time ago that they had parted ways in Hau'oli City (which, incidentally, she realized was the day before yesterday). "Told you I'd be coming to the Ceremony!"

"And well that you should,  _professor_ ," said yet another familiar voice to Serena's ears. She turned to see the violet-haired and striking figure of Miss Akela walking with purpose towards Kukui from the Ceremony Hall. This time, she was wearing a floral patterned dress, her perfectly manicured hands resting on her hips. "We have much to discuss. You know that, right?"

"I know, Akela!" Kukui chuckled out. Rockruff bounded out from the Pelipper to tackle Ash, licking his face. Ash joined in by laughing, claiming he was glad to see Rockruff while Serena looked to the far more interesting interaction of Kukui and Akela. "Just because you were a fellow classmate back in the day doesn't mean anything  _now_."

"Of course not," Akela sighed. "But given the state of things, don't you think it's high time we finish preparations?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kukui laughed out, clearly not caring. Akela frowned at him before turning to Serena. As she did so, the Performer could have sworn that she saw a very familiar magenta-haired woman entering the Ceremony Hall. Serena looked back up at Akela, noticing the corners of her lips turn upwards.

"So, you decided to participate after all?" she asked. Serena wasn't sure if she should say anything, so she nodded. Offering a smile, she turned away. "Well, I look forward to your upcoming Ceremony. I'll be in attendance, as will my younger classmate."

"By  _one month_!" Kukui said as Akela seemed to suddenly grab onto his ear and begin dragging him off to the Ceremony Hall. Serena shared a look of nervousness between her friends; Kukui could be quite the odd professor when the situation called for it. "Ah, Rockruff, you seem to want to stay with them while I'm away! Take care!"

"Will do!" Ash said, sitting up to take Rockruff in his arms as she barked once in agreement. She looked happy, barking yet again and licking his face. Ash finally stood and looked to Serena. "Weird, huh?"

"Not too weird," she commented. She thought of explaining her meeting with the woman earlier, but simply watched them as the woman pestered Kukui for news about a person called "Burnet". "Anyway, let's get going."

"Oh, right…" Ash said, scratching the side of his face. Serena giggled and once more stepped forward, hoping to make it to the Ceremony Hall, this time, without interruptions. Thankfully, that became the case, with Ash and Clemont running out to look at the stage once they were inside (though for entirely different reasons). Bonnie tugged on her shirt once the two boys had left them, with Rotom floating around, snapping pictures of every Pokémon it could find.

"There, Serena," Bonnie pointed to a receptionist.

Serena smiled at Bonnie and walked forward. There were plenty of others at the registration desk, from young boys to older women alike, all seemingly trying to sign up. At the front of the line was Keoni, who looked entirely disdainful of even the receptionist. When he caught sight of her, though, he winked. Serena shivered and got into line behind the magenta-haired woman from earlier. She turned her head and noticed two others off to the side, lounging on a couch, and the pieces put themselves together in her mind.

"Jessilie?" she asked tentatively, hoping to not be mistaken. The magenta-haired woman whipped around, looking almost freaked out.

"Twerpe….er, Serena, right? What do you want?" she said, just as haughtily as ever. It was a trait she was used to seeing on Jessilie, and made her feel almost right at home. Even if all her other rivals wouldn't be here in Alola with her, she still had one that was familiar. In some way, it almost made her a friend.

"I'm so glad to see you here!" Serena said excitedly as the line moved up, taking the woman's hands. Jessilie blinked at her, like she had no idea what was going on. "I thought you'd be in Kalos, aiming for the title of Kalos Queen again."

"Pfft, as if the world could contain my beauty!" Jessilie said, flinging her arm back like some kind of diva. Serena was forced to let go of her hands and watch her. "No, I'm here in Alola to obtain the title of Ali'i ka Leilani! I won't let anyone stand in my way!"

"Neither will I. Maybe this time, we'll meet in the finals, instead!" Serena said, retracting her hands but holding one out. Jessilie appeared taken aback by such an offer, but eventually smirked and grabbed hold of it, drawing her in. The two rivals nodded and then separated as Jessilie was called forward to register.

Serena breathed in. She was really here, at the foot of another adventure for herself. Ash and Clemont, Pikachu and Rockruff between them, were looking and pointing out towards the stage while Bonnie ran after Rotom like a mother hen with Dedenne's help. After a moment of exhaling, Serena stepped forward. Jessilie shot her another challenging smirk as she departed. The receptionist smiled at her and Serena grabbed her old Pokédex for identification along with the card Miss Akela had given her.

"Registered. Serena from Vaniville Town in Kalos. Current Leis, zero. Accepted for Melemele's Pua Leilani Ceremony," the receptionist said, handing over a very small box to Serena with three separate indentations in it. "This is the box where you will keep your Leis if you've won any. Do note, you can only win one Lei on an island. So, if you win today's Ceremony, you'll no longer be able to participate in another Ceremony on Melemele."

"Understood," Serena said. She didn't need to ask how many Leis were needed to enter the Hope Leilani, so she chose to ask a separate question instead. "I just want to make sure, what's the flow of the Ceremony?"

"Oh," the receptionist said, looking surprised. Still, she smiled and pulled down a small screen behind her desk, as if to educate her. Serena had the distinct feeling that she got this question often from new participants, making her feel a little better. For all her research, she hadn't been able to find how everything worked beyond the names of segments. "So, the Ceremony is split up into three portions: Course, Performance, Battle.

"In the Course, the trainer demonstrates their bond with their Pokémon by proceeding through an obstacle course of some nature, sometimes to collect items, others to just be one of the first ones to reach the end. The tasks vary depending on the Ceremony, but only four to eight trainers proceed to the Performance Portion. In that round, the trainer demonstrates their wisdom of the ancient arts of dancing with their Pokémon, judged by a panel. Should their score pass, they will move into the Battle Portion…which is really quite self-explanatory, however, we have a twist: the trainer and Pokémon will be rated by flowers! For every move the judges find beautiful, you'll receive a flower. For every move not, dodging, blocking, or any attack, you'll lose a flower. The goal is to earn enough flowers before your opponent to win the battle.

"Make sense?"

It was certainly a lot to take in, but Serena found herself nodding. The Course section was no problem, she hoped, given she'd done something similar to it before (and all her physical training through the recent crises would certainly help). Performance was right up her alley, even if it was determined by judges. It still didn't sound quite like the Contests that Dawn would talk about, though, and that slightly relieved her. Battles would be the only tricky part, with all the rules, but when she remembered how the final day of the Kalos Team Tournament was judged, she felt better. Breathing a little, she nodded her head at the receptionist. "Yes. Thank you very much."

"Roll call starts in half an hour! Better get ready!" she called. Serena nodded to herself and began walking back over to Ash and Clemont, taking note of where Jessilie was heading to: the prep room. Bonnie and Rotom were once more crossing back to meet up with them.

"All set?" Clemont asked. Serena nodded.

"Yeah! Go, Serena! You'll win! You'll win!" Bonnie cheered happily.

"Considering Serena is one of eight contestants, Rotom predicts she has a twelve-point-five percent chance of winning," Rotom said smugly. Bonnie immediately punched it on its backside. Serena, however, turned to look at Ash who was looking at her with a serious expression. He held his fist out, and Serena got the message. It was not time for a couple's affection. It was time to win. She returned the fistbump.

"We'll be cheering for you from the stands, non-stop!" Ash told her.

"I'll be listening," she responded. Taking Bonnie into an impromptu hug and offering a nod to Clemont, Serena turned and headed for the changing room. She  _had_  been able to look up the dress code for the Ceremony, which really seemed to be an anything goes situation. Knowing that, she chose to stick with her performance dress. Entering into the prep room, Serena could see Jessilie with her Wobbuffet and Gourgeist, her legs propped up on the prep table. Thankfully, Keoni was nowhere to be seen. One thing Serena did notice, however, was how empty the place was. It was nothing like a Showcase, though that was probably due to the smaller town.

Either way, she went behind a partition and quickly changed, breathing in with anticipation. Then she grabbed all three of her pokeballs, calling out Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon.

"This is it, you three," she said to them. Braixen popped her stick out, and Serena grabbed it, just as they had before the Master Class. Sylveon extended her feelers while the other three all touched the branch. "This is the next step towards our dream. We'll work together and bring more smiles to everyone, especially the people in Alola. It all starts now."

"Brai!"

"Sylvie!"

"Cham!" With that, Serena lifted the stick into the air, signifying their resolve. Taking yet one more breath, the four left the area behind the partition and came to stand with the other contestants. Unfortunately, she noticed Keoni there, looking like he was about to move over with his Vulpix when Serena's Pokémon moved in like a protective force.

There was suddenly a loud static over the radio. "Will all contestants please make their way to the stage? The Pua Leilani Ceremony is about begin!"

Serena didn't recognize the voice, but figured it was some kind of announcer for the Ceremonies just as Monsieur Pierre was in Kalos for the Showcases. Gripping at the ribbon on her dress, she looked over to Jessilie as the two of them left the room. To her surprise, Jessilie was very decked out in a free-flowing dress with a slit up the side. The floral patterned dress left little to the imagination below, but it suited the older woman just fine. Sharing a single gaze with her, the two rivals smirked and smiled at each other, respectively, before entering the door that would lead to the stage.

It felt surreal, like it all moved so fast, but looking to the blue ribbon on her wrist, Serena drew strength and stepped out from the side with her seven fellow participants onto the stage. To her surprise, cheers met her ears and she looked up to see the stands filled with people, not only from Pua Town, but it seemed that many others were here as well. There was a panel of three judges sitting in front of the stage as she walked across it, though two of them looked like locals while one was Nurse Joy. Behind them were Professor Kukui and Miss Akela, both talking under their breaths. Serena shifted her gaze up a little and saw Ash and the others in the crowd. Her gaze lit up.

Breathing in relief, Serena strode across the stage, looking to the white backdrop against them as her feet clacked against the wooden surface. It was likely that the obstacle course was there, behind the backdrop, but it was currently not visible. Either way, Serena proceeded to her place and stopped. The crowd cheered.

"Alola, one and all, to the Pua Town Leilani Ceremony!" called the voice that Serena had heard over the loudspeakers. She shifted her eyes to see the woman, dressed in a blue dress with a ring of flowers around her black hair, flowing down her back. Her bronzed skin served as a contrast to the white backdrop. "It's another bright and shiny day on Melemele Island, and we've got an interesting array of participants before us: some veterans, some rookies, but all are eager to earn this prestigious prize, the Pua Lei!"

"Coooomfey!" called a Pokémon that Serena had never seen before. It seemed to come from around Nurse Joy's neck and looked like a chain of flowers. Most important, however, was that it offered a single, large flower bloom that wasn't quite artificial, but certainly not living. The woman announcing the Ceremony grabbed hold of the Lei and held it up for the participants and spectators to see.

"I'm your host, Maika Olelo, here to officiate today's Ceremony! With me are our judges, picked from the local pool and Pua Town's very own Nurse Joy! Everyone give a hearty Alola welcome that gives praise to our guardian deities!"

Serena had to admit surprise, as did Jessilie next to her, when the entire crowd stood and bowed, chanting out a hearty, "Alola!". What followed seemed to be a moment of silence, broken by the woman, Maika.

"And with that out of the way, let's begin…with the Course Portion!" Serena turned at the loud ripping sound, seeing the white backdrop tear away and fall to the ground, revealing a simple racetrack with little slides and ramps placed around the area. It was twisting and labyrinthine, but with little waystations here and there, baskets of flowers upon them. "As is usual for the Pua Ceremony, our participants will be working with flowers! So, what, you may ask, is the goal of the Course? Each participant will choose one Pokémon, and no fliers for this one, and they will guide that Pokémon through the course to gather up a basket of flowers at each station. Naturally, the goal is to arrange the prettiest basket in the least amount of time, so you'll want to hurry! The judges will then decide on the four participants making it to the next round. All this is to show our participants' connection with nature and their Pokémon, able to work together to overcome any and all obstacles!

"Without further ado, participants, please make your way to the starting point!" Maika said, fanning her microphone-less hand over to the white boxes at the edge of the track. Serena's face adopted a stern expression, though she still smiled, and stepped forward with her fellow participants. One by one each stood there and called out their Pokémon. Serena considered her options and quickly called out Pancham. Next to her, Jessilie had called out Wobbuffet while down the line, Keoni had called out…a Meowth? She wasn't sure, as its gray fur looked so different from the Meowth she was used to.

"All right, Pancham, just listen to my voice no matter what, okay?" Serena said, crouching down to speak more personally with the Playful Pokémon. Pancham thumped his chest.

"Cham pan!" Pancham agreed and he adjusted his sunglasses, stepping forward to the edge of the white boxes. Maika rose her hand.

"Well, then, are our participants ready?" she asked, stepping to the front of the line with a green flag. Then, with a great wave and little anticipation, she yelled, "GO!"

Every Pokémon took off alongside one another at the same exact time, none of them needing directions from their trainers to race forward. Serena quickly glanced at all of the other Pokémon, noticing a wide array from a Spinarak to a Sudowoodo, and even a Slowpoke! Pancham was clearly in the frontrunners alongside Keoni's strange Meowth and Jessilie's Wobbuffet (which was a surprise in and of itself) as they approached the first obstacle of three: a pit of ropes and mud.

"Wobba wob!" Wobbuffet was saying, flailing his arms.

"Oh, just figure  _something_  out Wobbuffet!" Jessilie snapped. Serena quickly observed the obstacle before them and saw Keoni's Meowth walking up nonchalantly.

"Get up above, Lord Meowth. No use getting you dirty," he said with a flick of his black hair. Serena watched Lord Meowth (inwardly blanching at the name), hoping to see a potential solution. Lord Meowth crouched low and then sprung up high, towards the wooden beams that were holding the ropes in place. Serena's eyes lit up with an idea.

"Pancham, start spinning!" she told him. Pancham didn't bother nodding, dropping to his back and spinning, gradually picking up momentum with every rotation. Serena watched his rotations as the Spinarak managed to make it to the course, its trainer ordering a String Shot. That's when Serena saw the perfect opportunity. "Jump up towards the first rope now!"

"Cham!" Pancham cried, coming out of his spin and shooting upward with an Arm Thrust to help. Serena beamed at her Pokémon, spinning through the air to grab hold of the rope. It was like they needed no further communication. Pancham seemed to understand that he was to ride the momentum forward, swinging from rope to rope with relative ease. Wobbuffet, meanwhile, had decided to wade through the mud, taking it much slower than his competitors, but still far ahead of the Slowpoke that hadn't even reached the course yet.

"Great job, Pancham!" Serena cheered as Pancham swung from the final rope and landed in a roll that carried him forward just as Lord Meowth touched down. The two instantly ran right for the table. Pancham looked back, like he was asking Serena which flowers to choose from. Serena's eyes flitted over to them and instantly chose a batch of white lilies. Pancham got the message and jumped up, pressing down on them. Lord Meowth was right next to him, choosing some bluebells. There was an attendant at the table, Serena realized, who instantly reserved them.

"Get ahead of it," Keoni said lazily. He looked a little bored as Serena looked over to him, wondering why he wasn't taking it more seriously. He caught her looking and winked at her. Pancham and Lord Meowth raced forward, even if the Meowth had the advantage. Spinarak was soon behind them while Wobbuffet emerged from the mud pit with a cry.

"You can do this, Pancham! Tuck yourself in and somersault forward!" Serena told him. Pancham jumped a little, curling into a ball and beginning to somersault forward, gradually picking up speed as they approached a group of slides and ladders. "Use Dark Pulse to launch yourself up the ladder!"

"Pan!" Pancham called out, summoning the dark nexus of energy in his hands and shooting it at the ground. Lord Meowth had simply jumped up once more, traveling half the ladder in the single leap. Spinarak was quickly approaching as well, once more preparing its past strategy on his trainer's orders. Pancham, meanwhile, was blasting upward from the force of the Dark Pulse, jettisoning all the way to the top of the ladder.

"Now, back into a ball!" Serena said. Pancham understood, spinning in the air as he angled for the slide. It didn't take long to see the result as Pancham hit it and began to roll, much like a ball at one of Clemont's Ingenuity Festivals. Only, Pancham was quicker, picking up speed as he spiraled down the slide. Lord Meowth had reached the top and lazily threw itself onto the slide with a smug expression, much like its trainer. Pancham was very far ahead of it, and they were both far ahead of Wobbuffet, who was struggling to climb up the ladder. It was a miracle that he was still in the top four of participants. In some way, Serena had to wonder if those in Pua Town took part in the Ceremony for fun, rather than actually wanting to advance to the Hope Leilani.

"Pancham cham!" Pancham announced as he finished his descent, coming back into a ball, dashing right for the next station with as much speed as his stubby legs could pick up. Serena now glanced over at the flowers, seeing a group of impatiens, like earlier. She raised her hand and pointed towards it. Pancham took the opportunity immediately. They were easily ahead of the pack now, and in some part, Serena felt she could hear Ash, Bonnie and Rotom yelling for her to win, just like they had during Ash's course in the Kalos Team Tournament. It wasn't hard to see why: there was only one more obstacle before them, a large expanse of uneven terrain, too difficult to run through. Breathing in, Serena knew she had to figure out a way for Pancham to get across quickly, especially when she saw the final station and the collection of orange hibiscus that would perfectly complement what she wanted to create.

"Pancham, use Stone Edge to make even footing for yourself!"

"You know what to do, Lord Meowth," Keoni said. In the background, Wobbuffet was screaming as he tumbled down the slides. The Slowpoke was busy treading through the mud on the first obstacle.

Pancham flipped forward, slamming his hand down. Glittering stones popped up from the ground, these particular stones erecting themselves as flat surfaces, perfect for Pancham to jump between as necessary. Pancham once more twirled through the air, landing on the surface of the stones and beginning to run across them, making little leaps as he did so. Lord Meowth wasn't far behind, extending itself onto all fours and leaping across the uneven ground with flexibility, slowly gaining ground on Pancham.

"You can do it, Pancham!" Bonnie's voice yelled out from the crowd, most of the members of it watching with rapt fascination. Serena clenched her hands, as if praying for Pancham to make it to those hibiscus before Lord Meowth could. Pancham reached the last stone at the end of the course at the same time and both of the Pokémon dashed off for the station. Lord Meowth, however, was just a hair's breadth ahead.

"Go for the Crown Flower," Keoni said. Serena blinked, looking over at the boy, once more winking at her. Nevertheless, Pancham and Lord Meowth chose both of their flower sets, and quickly ran the final distance to their trainers again. Pancham, looking slightly tired from running the race, leapt into Serena's arms happily. She laughed at him gaily as their attendants approached them with their collected flowers. As Serena grabbed hers, she caught a rather humorous sight of Wobbuffet bouncing along the uneven ground.

Then she looked to Pancham, and both she and her Pokémon began putting together their flower arrangement. It certainly hadn't been an expected test before the Ceremony had begun, but now that she was here, putting it together, she could admit she was having a lot of fun. It didn't take too long, but with some care and precision, Serena had made, what she felt was, a beautiful composition. In the center were the lilies, blooming upward, ringed with the blue and purple impatiens and then topped off with the orange hibiscus at intervals alongside it.

Keoni had also seemed to make a surprisingly beautiful collection, looking more like a golden crown in a box with flecks of blues from the bluebells. Eventually, Jessilie had also made hers, though it wasn't remotely fantastic or anything. Perhaps the strangest thing was that, despite having an element of speed to the competition, they had to wait for even the Slowpoke to finish the course. Not that Serena minded, but it was a little nerve-wracking to wait for the results. Eventually, however, the Slowpoke trainer finished their composition and the flower arrangements were presented to the judges.

All that was left was the result for the Course section, and Serena felt apprehensive. But when she looked up and saw Ash smiling at her, she took solace and comfort, and chose to not worry. It was simply up to the judges, and she was fine with that.

* * *

Ash scooted forward in his seat, waiting on tenterhooks to see the result of the Course portion of the Ceremony. He had to admit, despite the whole idea being similar to Contests and Showcases, the execution of it felt very different and showed a side of Serena that he hadn't managed to appreciate. The way she commanded Pancham so effortlessly to overcome any obstacle was a sight to see. Not that he expected any less; not after everything. But seeing it again, knowing she hadn't lost her touch, it made him happy.

Keoni made him less so.

He really didn't like the boy who looked more like some prissy rich boy from some prissy rich family. Not that he had anything against people like that…at all. But the boy had hardly been kind to him or Bonnie or Rotom. But most of all…he couldn't stand the way he treated Serena, acting like she would only win with his help or something equally ridiculous. It just rubbed him the wrong way, and he wanted Serena to beat him more than anything. That was the only reason he was so nervous, waiting for the result on her flower creation.

"You seem surprisingly nervous, Ash," Clemont commented. He turned to his inventor friend with a light chuckle.

"Guess so," he answered. "I know Serena can win, but this is a totally new thing…and since I'm not participating, it just means that I have to do the worrying for her."

"That's not like you," the blond chuckled out. Ash didn't respond; he was right. Typically, he wouldn't worry about Serena doing well in this. Maybe it was because it was all happening so fast, or because it was something so new.  _Or it could be because of Keoni_ , his mind told him. He scowled at the implication just as Bonnie jumped up.

"They're announcing!" she hissed. Ash turned his attention to the stage where Maika was standing. In place of the white backdrop from before was now a screen, something that made Ash raise his eyes a little. Were they actually broadcasting the Ceremony? Or was it that they simply didn't use the electronic board until it was necessary? Either way, he was waiting.

"The results are in!" Maika said to the crowd, waving a hand into the air. Ash saw Serena clasping at her chest as all of the participants turned to the screen. She must have been incredibly apprehensive, judging from the way her foot was jiggling just a little. It was almost hard for him to imagine that he had picked up on all of these things since they'd begun dating. "And the participants moving on to the Performance Portion are…

"Jessilie! Keoni! Malia! And Serena!"

"Yes!" Ash cheered, pumping his fist a little proudly. Bonnie threw her hands into the air while Clemont slumped back; perhaps he'd been nervous, himself, after all. Rotom just looked between all of them in confusion. Rockruff barked happily in Ash's lap and Ash scratched her behind the ears.

"Now, we're moving straight into the Performance Portion! The goal of this round is for the participants to create a dazzling display together with their Pokémon based on a specific theme! And as expected, the theme this time will be…flowers! So, will all clear the stage for what is sure to be Jessilie's captivating performance!" The crowd applauded politely and Ash and his friends all joined in. Pikachu slid down to sit in his lap with Rockruff while Chespin popped out of Clemont's pokeball to watch.

"Only two get to move on from these four, right?" Clemont asked. "The competition will be pretty steep. Serena will have to be at the top of her game."

"Of  _course_  Serena's gonna win. You can't doubt that, Clemont," Bonnie chided her older brother. Ash had to agree, staring towards the stage as the familiar Jessilie began her routine.

He had to admit that he wasn't as enthralled with the performance, probably because it wasn't Serena's. Of course, Jessilie was one of Serena's, strangely enough, favorite rivals from Kalos. She had once intimated to him that she admired the way she could make the stage her own, something Serena felt she was unable to do. Ash had to admit that she had a point. Dancing with her Gourgeist on the stage and sending out a Leech Seed that made towering vines which met in the middle, it was very obvious that Jessilie had not lost her usual vanity. Regardless of his boredom, Ash still watched as Jessilie commanded another Leech Seed. The vines carried her upward from underneath her feet, like a giant podium.

"Seed Bomb!" Jessilie commanded coolly. Gourgeist spun around, firing Seed Bomb off in a constant interval as it exploded with the various vines, creating fireworks in the shape of flowers. Jessilie continued to rise, coming out through the now collapsing vines as they formed the shape of a flower around her, with the Performer as the centerpiece. "Now Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse!"

"Gourgeist!" Gourgeist called out, forming five Shadow Balls and sending them outward. Right after they fired so, too, did Gourgeist's twisting and swirling Dark Pulse, meeting in the center of the orbs and exploding out into an inky flower. Yet, it was still obvious that that was what it was, especially as Jessilie once more emerged from the center and flipped through the air before Gourgeist grabbed hold of her and they descended together.

"And finished!"

The crowd clapped and cheered at the woman's performance, herself soaking in all the cheers and admiration. Ash had to admit it was particularly good; Jessilie hadn't slowed down from her time in Kalos, and he was glad to see that Serena would have such a formidable rival returning. It reminded him of the boy they'd met just yesterday, Hau, and Ash found himself grinning at the thought of battling the boy again someday.

However, his grin soon dropped off as Keoni approached the stage with his Vulpix. To that one, Ash just wanted to avert his eyes, not really caring about the rude boy's performance. Although, even with trying to exclusively look down at Rockruff and Pikachu, he did find himself catching snippets of the overall performance.

Unfortunately, he had to admit that it was…good. Keoni was graceful. He only used hand movements when necessary, drew equal attention to himself and to Vulpix, and was able to do exactly what the crowd seemed to like, all while looking smug during it. Vulpix would use a Powder Snow, sending the stage glittering with icy particles before charging up with light. Then it would fire off a Moonblast in quick succession, before using Extrasensory to turn each collection of swirling snow around the pink, pearlescent orbs into rotating flowers that fell slowly and softly to the ground before bursting with the icy chill once more.

"Fine…the meanie's good," Bonnie pouted, making Clemont laugh from next to her. "But Serena will beat him!"

"No doubt!" Ash agreed. In fact, their words were about to be put to the test as Serena stepped forward with Sylveon by her side.

"Let's go!" she called to the crowd, extending her hands outwards. Ash found himself smiling. "Use Swift!"

"Syl!" Sylveon called, flicking her feelers and sending an array of golden stars into the air. Ash found himself scrutinizing all of their movements as they swirled around, forming into a flower shape. Already, it seemed like she was off to a good start. Serena most certainly wasn't done, though.

"Fairy Wind!" Serena called, flinging her hand high and clasping it into a fist. Sylveon pranced around the stage and sent little puffs of the glittering wind up towards the rotating flowers created from the stars. They slammed into each other, tinging the stars with pink. Then the celestial bodies began to fall like cherry blossom petals. "Now, Double Team!"

"Veooon!" Sylveon said, smiling brightly as she created multiple copies under each cluster of falling petals. Ash looked up a little, watching the giddy smile on Serena's face. She was certainly having a good time, and it made him feel the same. As soon as Sylveon's doubles had appeared, Serena called for her next move: another Swift. Each of the copies once more whipped their feelers out, sending out stars that clustered together, each becoming like a nucleus that the "petals" could surround. The flowers fell softly.

"And once more, Fairy Wind!" Serena cried powerfully, once more gripping her fist. She danced forward, as if spinning through the petals. Sylveon had joined her, each of the remaining copies prancing around like a circle that formed their own little flower on the stage. Ash found himself clapping and laughing at his girlfriend's joyous performance. As they danced, one after another, the copies launched a Fairy Wind upwards. Once again, the petals scattered, all of the nuclei turning into the pinkish flowers alongside the petals as they softly fell to the ground.

Then, with another blast that blew them all towards the audience, and a smile on her face, Serena came to stand still. The "petals" continued outward and Bonnie reached forward giddily to grab a handful. One of them floated right over to Ash and he caught it with a grin, reaching his hand into the air to show that he had it, the symbol of all her love and passion and smiles, before it could disappear. "Finish!"

The crowd applauded and cheered, just as they had with every other contestant. Ash finally sat back; Serena had done a great job. In fact, Clemont appeared to be commenting on that very issue.

"That was a rather perfect performance," he said, his hand on his chin as he nodded. Ash had to agree. Serena had embodied the theme and essence of performing so well. Keoni and Jessilie might have been good, but Serena was perfect to him. However, he knew he still had to pay respect to the final girl that was participating, and so he watched her performance to the end. At that point, Ash realized that the crowd, unlike in Kalos, wasn't a very good indicator for how well a participant did, since they seemed to clap at every single performance. Of course, so did he.

"And there are our performances!" Maika said, dancing back onto the stage like a Performer herself. Ash kept the smile on his face and looked down to see Kukui glancing at the stage with some enthusiasm. However, the woman next to him, Miss Akela, appeared less enthused. "Now you'll have to give us a moment while our judges rank the performances by their points before we move onto the Battle Portion!"

"Oh, just say Serena won," Bonnie said.

"Serena has a twenty-five percent chance of-mmph!" Bonnie quickly grabbed the Pokédex and shoved it onto her lap in an attempt to shut it up. Ash looked over to Clemont, who was stroking his chin.

"Hey, no worries," Ash told him. "She made it as runner-up of the Master Class, no problem. Serena's got this!"

"I know…but even if she wins…" Clemont said, sighing. "Well, she'll have to face Keoni, and maybe he'll get under her skin. He certainly seemed to have an effect on this group."

"Serena can overcome anything, Clemont. You know that."

"Yeah, but…" Clemont didn't seem to want to voice his concerns about the situation, opting for sitting back with a frown on his face. Ash thought that maybe he understood the gist of it all: Serena would have to  _battle_  Keoni, likely. And though she was a skilled battler, battling while performing like a Coordinator probably wasn't the easiest to pull off. Still, Ash had faith in her. And he held to that faith as Maika returned prancing up the stage to announce the participants moving on.

"All right, everyone! Time for our finalists, moving on to the Battle Portion!" she called out, twirling around a little and indicating the screen. "The two who will be battling it out for the Pua Lei in the Battle Portion are…Keoni and Jessilie!"

"What?" Bonnie said flatly as the pictures of the two trainers appeared on the screen.

Ash just stared dumbly ahead. It wasn't the case. He'd heard wrong. He must have. Because there was no way that Serena hadn't moved on. There was no way that she wasn't, at least, making it to the final stage. It simply couldn't be possible. Yet the pictures on the screen there, and the two trainers making their way to the stage, proved otherwise. Ash turned his head and saw Serena and the other girl walking away, like neither could really bother to watch the battle. He stood.

"Where are you going?" Clemont asked. Ash didn't bother to answer. He simply continued to hold Rockruff while Pikachu scrambled up and the three made their way down the stairs, all the way out to the hall they had entered into.

"Ruff!" Rockruff barked out, extending her paw towards the light streaming from the door. Ash picked up his pace, walking forward, knowing that Serena would be in there. As he approached it, he saw the girl from the Performance Portion exiting with a downcast expression. Ash held the door for her, and then proceeded inside.

Sounds were coming from somewhere, and Ash looked up to see a television in the room, portraying the battle between Keoni and Jessilie. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that Keoni was in the lead, having three flowers to her one. Tearing away from the commentating on the screen, he saw Serena sitting there, watching it, Sylveon's feelers having wrapped around her wrist.

"Serena…" Ash called softly. His girlfriend turned her head, and he was relieved to see that she hadn't been crying. "You all right?"

"Yeah…" she said, clasping her hands together on her lap. He walked closer, letting Rockruff leap out of his arms to trot over to her and Sylveon. The two Pokémon appeared to have a discussion with one another as Ash finished reaching Serena. "I lost. It…happens."

"True…" Ash commented. For all his talkative nature, he wasn't sure what to say to her. "You looked great out there, by the way."

"Thanks," Serena told him, but her eyes weren't smiling. He kneeled down. Her lips were certainly upturned, but her eyes had momentarily lost their beautiful spark. "Guess I just wasn't good enough."

"That's not-"

"Ash, it's all right," she told him, unclasping her hands to caress his cheek. "I knew this road would be hard, making everyone smile, but I'm still committed to it. It's just one loss, right?"

"Right!" Ash said, reaching up to grab her hand, his finger running across it. Pikachu also leapt to her shoulder and raised his paw in encouragement. "You'll definitely win next time."

"Of course," she said, and Ash found himself feeling better for her. The spark returned to her eyes and she leaned forward, placing her lips on his. Ash leaned into it, ready to reciprocate when he heard someone at the door clear their throat, and he jumped back.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," said a female voice, and Ash turned to look at the same moment Serena did.

"Miss Akela," she said in surprise. The violet-haired woman stepped in with a wry smile on her face.

"Disappointing, I bet," the woman said, picking up a chair and sitting upon it. Her gaze flicked up to the television, where the battle was still going, Vulpix dodging a Shadow Ball. "I could tell you gave it your all, but still weren't chosen."

"Keoni and Jessilie were just better than me."

"And there's no shame in it…as long as you don't break from it," Miss Akela said with a stern expression. Serena turned to face her, and Ash, despite wanting to intervene, chose not to.

"I won't break," she told her sharply. Miss Akela smiled and then let off a tinkling laughter.

"Good to know. I wouldn't want you to." The woman now stood, pulling sunglasses from her dress to place them on her face. "I want to see you keep moving forward."

"I will…but…" Serena stood, trying to draw even with the woman but coming up slightly shorter than her. "Why do you care so much? You chose me for some reason, and I don't even know who you are."

"Oh…you simply remind me of someone," Akela answered with a giggle. Ash resisted the urge to scratch his head. "And I simply think there's something different about you. Different in your dream. Unlike that boy…all potential, but lacking the fineries."

Ash turned to the screen to see that it was declaring Keoni as the winner. It made him grimace. There'd be no living with the boy after this, he was sure of (even after knowing him for all of a couple hours). He wasn't looking forward to that near future encounter, but he was driven from his thoughts by Akela clearing her throat. "Huh?"

"Sorry," Akela said, seeing she had finally gathered Ash's attention. "You two are close, yes? Pursuing dreams together?"

"Ash is my…boyfriend," Serena admitted, drawing close to him to take his hand. Akela raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on it. Instead, she said something Ash found strange.

"It's a beautiful thing to pursue a road as one, but keep in mind that dreams can be shared, yet they are still our own. So, if you ever find yourself confused, sometimes distance is key. It's amazing how much you can grow from a different perspective," Akela said, now flicking her sunglasses down. "In the meantime, you'll want to head for Kala'e Bay. I won't be attending that one, but that's where the next Leilani Ceremony is being held on the island. I hope to see you soon, Serena. And your boyfriend."

"Oh, yes. Alola." Serena bowed as the woman repeated the phrase, and Akela soon left the room just as Jessilie came storming in. Ash grabbed Serena and pulled back as the woman stormed around.

"Of course, prissy little pretty boy has to take the win. What does he have that I don't? !" Jessilie said, grabbing her things. She happened to catch sight of Serena. "And here I was hoping to battle the twe…you for an easy win. Well, next time that little brat won't be winning!"

"Of course not. We'll battle in the finals, right?" Serena said, offering a smile. Jessilie looked taken aback, but finally broke out of her rage and smirked.

"Naturally," she said, as if acknowledging her opponent. Ash had to admit surprise from the woman's generally vain attitude breaking for a moment. "In the meantime I'm putting Meowth through hellish training…" She stalked out, a manic grin on her face. Ash looked to Serena, and the two chuckled nervously. He opened his mouth to say something, but soon caught sight of the swaggering Keoni entering the room. His smile dropped considerably fast.

"Serena, you're still here?" Keoni asked, his lips turning up into a rather leering smirk. He looked up and down almost lecherously. "You watched my battle then. It was rather magnificent, wasn't it?"

"I…guess…" Serena said. Of course, Ash knew that she'd missed a huge part of it, but chose not to say anything. "Congratulations on your win."

"Of course," Keoni said as he walked forward. He looked to Ash and placed a hand on him, before lightly shoving him aside. He then whipped out a cloth and wiped his hand. "Though, I'm afraid I did warn you."

"Warn me of what?" Serena asked, and at the very least she sounded offended in Ash's place. Keoni cast another sneer at Ash.

"I warned you that associating with someone so much lower than you would only ensure you lost at the Ceremony," he said, like it was simple fact of life. "But, beautiful Serena, if you were to come with-"

"Not interested." The tone was sharp and clipped, surprising both males in the room. Keoni straightened up from his leaning position against her. He blinked a little, like he was confused, but soon smirked again.

"Well, we'll see," he said, that infuriating smirk still on his face. "For now, I'll be heading to Akala. I pray the next time we meet, you think more favorably of me. We'll make the Ali'i ka Leilani yet, my dear."

Ash wanted to say something, anything, but all he could feel was pain in his palms, driving in so distinctly from his nails as the boy packed up. Before he left, he turned back to Ash with that little smirk and jerked his head, dangling the small flowers on his finger, like a taunt, before he left the room. Ash bit at his tongue, trying to calm down. He glanced at Serena, who was breathing in before walking away, behind a partition. He continued watching her until he noticed her dropping her dress and he turned away to allow her privacy.

"I'll be outside, okay?" he said. Serena hummed in response. "Come on, Pikachu, Rockruff."

"Pika…" Pikachu said sadly, as though he understood whatever was going on.  _Probably more than me_ , Ash thought as Rockruff also barked and bounded after him. Ash sighed, removing his hat and running his hand through his hair. Stepping outside, he wasn't surprised to find Clemont, Bonnie, and even Kukui there to greet him.

"Is Serena okay…?" Bonnie asked, gripping her bag with Dedenne inside.

"Just fine!" Ash answered, pumping his fist. He looked over to Kukui, who appeared to have a contemplative look on his face. Ash continued watching him a moment before he rubbed the back of his head and laughed.

"Tough breaks, huh?" he said, bending down shortly after to pet Rockruff. The dog looked up at Ash a moment, almost sadly, like she didn't want to leave. "But you're strong kids, I think. I mean, I don't think ol' Tapu Koko would have bothered with you otherwise. Speaking of…"

"Next up is Ash's trial," called Serena's voice. She stepped out of the room behind Ash, once more dressed in her traveling clothes.

"That's right," Kukui said with a little wink. "Verdant Cavern, where Ilima's waiting. I'll be there, too. In fact, I'm heading there straightaway so I can get there before you."

"But, professor, why didn't you just go there straight away? Just to watch Serena perform?" Clemont asked. Ash hadn't considered it before, but now that Clemont had mentioned it, it did seem weird for the professor to randomly come and watch Serena perform. Kukui stood up and laughed.

"You saw: I had business with Akela. Though I did want to see you perform. Not very often that those from outside of Alola take part, after all."

"Hmm…" Serena commented before smiling brightly. "Well, thank you for coming to watch!" Kukui winked at her in response. Serena seemed to take that as positivity, because she reached down to grab Ash's hand and pull him forward. Kukui stared after them in surprise as the distance increased. Bonnie and Clemont quickly began running after them, too.

"Ah, see you at the Cavern, Ash!"

"You bet!" Ash proclaimed, throwing his free fist into the air as Serena took them out of the Ceremony Hall, into the setting sun. Rockruff ran alongside them, growling like she wanted to do some sort of training with him, but stopped her growling and movement just outside, turning to soft whimpers. "We'll see each other soon, Rockruff! Promise!"

"Rockruff!" she barked out happily while Pikachu waved back to her. Ash grinned, then clenched tighter around Serena's hand, glad she was there, and the group left, watching the form of Rockruff and Kukui disappearing as they continued their journey from Pua Town on the road to Verdant Cavern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, this was long…and a first look at the Leilani Ceremony as I developed it. Clearly these were going to be longer than I originally thought, but that's okay, ha ha. I hope you enjoyed it, despite Serena losing. Though, of course, I think it was obvious she would. Meanwhile, we're introduced, officially, to Keoni, the same boy from the opening of Chapter 5 who is…well, he's a character, all right. Otherwise, not too much to say other than Kukui and Akela's mysterious meeting business. I hope you all like Akela at least a little bit, ha ha.
> 
> I really appreciate all of you. So, until next time, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	8. A Thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So glad I can make people hate an OC last chapter for the right reasons, though I wouldn't jump on calling him a "villain" quite yet. Ah well, that's behind us, and now it's time for Chapter 8!

Chapter 8

A Thief

"Again, Meowth!"

"We've been at dis since last night, Jess. Wobbuffet and I are pooped," Meowth said, slumping against the big, blue lug. James turned his head as he placed the small, holographic box down. They had holed up in an empty house for the time being while planning their next move after Jessie's loss in the Leilani Ceremony. As usual, he noticed, she wasn't taking it well.

"And we'll go at it again!" Jessie screeched. "We can't stop until  _I've_  become the Ali'i ka Leilani!"

"But Jess, dere's plenty more opportunities…"

"Wobba…" James cringed. Jessie had been in far too foul of a mood since the day prior. The only solace she'd had was that she had managed to beat the twerpette, though she seemed disappointed in even that. Sighing at the thought, James finished placing his device down and took a look around the house they were squatting in.

It really looked like it hadn't been used in a very long time, which, of course, suited all of their purposes just fine. Dust covered broken tables and there were bent golf clubs sitting in a corner of the house. James' eyes narrowed as he peered around the small living room they were in, drawing closer to the boarded up window. Looking through the dust-ridden cracks, he could see what looked to be a row of palm trees, berries hanging from their branches. If he squinted a little more, he was certain that he could see what looked to be a berry farm in the very far distance. Part of him wondered if the twerps would be heading there, but the thought was banished from his mind when his hand touched something that wasn't the desk he was leaning against.

"Hmm?" he mused, grabbing the thing that was underneath his hand. It appeared to be circular in nature, with different colored wedges and crystalline orbs in it. However, it also seemed incomplete to James' eyes. There were a couple wedges and orbs missing. As he finished lifting it up, it seemed to snap underneath his hand, like it was old and ready to break, tumbling to the floor and scattering the colored wedges. James moved to pick them up when a beep sounded from his device. He made to turn around, briefly catching a glimpse of a Pokémon climbing up a tree to grab some of the berries in what looked like giant claws. Nevertheless, he ignored it and went back to the box. Jessie, Meowth and Wobbuffet all ceased their own actions and gathered with him while he pressed the button.

"Jessie, James, Meowth, report," spoke the harsh tones of Giovanni the second that his picture appeared. James lifted his hand and saluted. Knowing Jessie usually began the report, he looked to her.

"We've arrived in Alola, sir, and have begun scouting out the land!" she said crisply. Giovanni gave no reaction, as if waiting for more information. Meowth picked up the slack as Giovanni started moving his hand, no doubt petting Persian in his lap.

"We've yet to obtain any Pokémon or encounter ARC, sir, but we have done a bit of research," Meowth said, keeping his own salute up. "It seems da Pokémon on Alola can look different. Even Meowth's such as myself have dark fur."

"Interesting…" Giovanni stated, still stroking his Persian's fur. "I didn't expect you to run into ARC without some looking. They've remained hidden for many months now, and our intel had only just picked up on them. Your presence in Alola should hopefully draw them out as it has these other rival organizations. What of Team Skull?"

"We've learned that Team Skull are simply a bunch of Pokémon thieves, sir," James finally spoke, diverting his boss' attention onto him. "They don't appear to be any threat at the moment."

"Excellent to know. Continue with your operations. Report in when you have important information to share. I am giving you full autonomy in the region."

"Sir!" they all spoke as the line finally cut off, Giovanni's face disappearing. James let out a breath of air as he turned to his compatriots. Jessie looked over the moon about it, something which made James laugh nervously. He still felt a little trepidation over going against ARC (and it certainly wasn't because they were probably stronger than them) but he pushed it down in favor of the assignment.

"The boss praised us again! I don't think I can get enough of it!" she said cheerfully. "So, the next step is to-"

"Not more Ceremony stuff! No more today!" Meowth contested. "Let's actually get down ta woik."

"I agree!" James said, handily. "First things first, let's find that Team Skull and take them down, all while getting new and rare Pokémon from Alola! Oh, and a lunch of berries sounds good, too!"

"That was  _my_  idea!" Jessie snapped, folding her arms. James looked to Meowth, neither of them believing it, but allowing Jessie to hold her delusions. "All right, team! Time to do what we came here to do! For the boss!"

"For the boss!"

* * *

Ash shifted his foot, staring across the plain of grass they were stopping at for lunch. Behind him stretched a row of berry trees and he could see Rowlet's head constantly turning back all the way to look at them. Only when Ash looked down at him with a look that said "After" did he snap back and hoot. Across from him stood Serena, with Braixen at her front. Bonnie stood in the center like a referee while Clemont was busy setting lunch.

_We've made good progress_ , Ash thought to himself, Pikachu looking up at him.  _But both of us can't just keep walking without stopping to train._

"Pikapi."

"Yeah, I know," Ash said, grinning. He directed that grin over to his girlfriend. "Give it your best, Serena! I wanna see some super cool performances from you so you can win that next Ceremony for sure!"

"You bet! Mind if I take the first move?" Serena asked, the warm breeze blowing across all of them. Ash nodded his head and Bonnie lowered her hand. "Braixen, Hidden Power!"

"Brai brai!" Braixen cried out, twirling her wand and summoning the five orbs that circled around it. Then she fired.

"Into the air, Rowlet!" Ash commanded. Rowlet hooted loudly and shot up with incredible speed. Resting against a rock, Ash could feel Greninja opening an eye to observe the speed. "Great, now use Tackle!"

"Kuuuuuurrrr!" Rowlet hooted out, diving for Braixen with an outstretched talon. He quickly dodged the Hidden Power, causing Serena to frown.

"Block it!" she called. Braixen whipped her wand out just as the force preceding the kick struck into the brunt of said stick, pushing her backwards. "Not good enough…Braixen, I think we can't approach this like regular battles in the past. Don't you?"

"Sen," Braixen agreed. She faced back to Rowlet, who was happily floating along in the air. A loud sound showed Clemont placing the plates for lunch down and he walked over as he wiped his hands off.

"Since you two are sparring against each other, maybe you should pull out everything you have," he suggested. "I'm not a performance expert, but maybe I could notice something."

"Great idea, Clemont!" Serena said happily. Ash nodded, agreeing, and he looked up at Rowlet.

"Hear that, Rowlet? Let's show 'em what we can do!"

"Rrrroh!" Rowlet said, flapping in the air a little more. He'd been resting quite well for the last two days since the battle against Hau, so Ash knew he'd be up for the training.

"Great, then use Leafage!" Ash said, spinning a little and pointing forward. He noticed Serena shaking her head a moment before focusing back on their battle. Rowlet flapped his wings and the green leaves whipped outward with a blast of air before aiming in a straight line for Braixen.

"Okay, use Fire Blast to block it!" Serena commanded. Braixen danced forward and pointed her wand. The five-pronged shape of fire burst outward and slammed into the Leafage. Little pieces of the leaves fluttered downward, turning golden with their fire. Ash had to admit, when it came to making moves look beautiful, Serena was second to none. In some way, it made him want to see a battle between her and Dawn someday. "Now, Fire Spin to create columns!"

"Braixen!" Braixen cried, slamming her wand to the ground. Ash looked over to Rowlet and nodded. The Grass Quill Pokémon appeared to understand and instantly changed his course of direction as he dived down, avoiding the now spurting jets of flame. Through the roaring fire, Ash heard Serena call for a Hidden Power. Once more, the silver orbs of light went racing outward, the streaks left behind turning into golden-orange blazes as they aimed for Rowlet.

"Use Peck, Rowlet!" Ash ordered. Next to him, Pikachu cheered. Rowlet finally had a clear path and he dove, his beak glowing a bright blue. Only, it looked different now as his little beak elongated and opened. Braixen moved back a little on one foot before Rowlet struck. The force before the attack slammed into the Fox Pokémon, knocking her off balance as Rowlet quickly snatched her wand away from her.

"Amazing! Rowlet learns many things, Rotom sees!" Rotom said, buzzing up from its place on the table at the sight of the proud Rowlet zooming away with Braixen's wand. "Rowlet has learned the move Pluck!"

"That's awesome, Row…let…" Ash said, almost slapping himself. Rowlet had gone gliding right past Braixen, not looking where he was going, and suddenly slammed into one of the trees. Braixen's stick tumbled back towards Serena, who reached down to pick it up. Rowlet, on the other hand, didn't stir for a moment. That doubled when, all of a sudden, a rain of berries began falling from the trees. Only, the berries weren't the only thing. "Rowlet, move now!"

"Kurr…?" Rowlet questioned. Ash stepped forward as his Pokémon began to blink. First, he looked overjoyed, nabbing some of the berries that had fallen on top of him. At least, until he, like Ash, realized that something was attached to those berries.

"Crabrawler, Boxing Pokémon, and the pre-evolved form of Crabominable," Rotom said without provocation. Ash could see where it got its name from. It looked like a crab with a purple shell and what seemed to be blue boxing gloves. Rotom continued on, however. "While guarding its weak points with its pincers, it looks for an opening and unleashes punches. When it loses, it foams at the mouth and faints."

"Craba!" the Crabrawler cried, suddenly lunging for Rowlet as they were attached to the same berry with its open fist.

"Rowlet, use Pluck and get away from there!" Ash called, finally drawing even with Serena. Rowlet's eyes snapped open fully and his beak glowed blue again before he lunged forward and jabbed Crabrawler right between the eyes. His beak then made its way around to grab the berry and take to the sky once more. Crabrawler wasn't happy, though, as its fist glowed orange with the strength of a Power-Up Punch. Rowlet lifted upward, but the weight of the berry it was desperately holding on to held him back.

"Kuuurrr!" Rowlet cried in distress. Crabrawler launched its fist forward, only for the attack to be almost completely stopped by a sudden falling of feathers from up above in the tree. Crabrawler ceased its attack as more feathers fell around it and it looked up. So, too, did Ash. As his foe was distracted, Rowlet quickly snagged his berry and flew right back over to Ash, landing on his shoulder and munching away.

Ash, however, was more drawn to what he saw above in the tree. It was the Pokémon he'd first seen upon arriving to Alola, staring down at Crabrawler in challenge. The crab didn't look all too happy about the interruption, raising both its fists in challenge. The small bird atop the tree stared down at it discerningly, like it was thinking about its next move. Ash stepped forward and saw the white, red, and black bird turn its head from side to side. Then it opened its mouth.

"Peeeeeeeeeeeek!" The sound was loud, bouncing off all of their eardrums and the different trees in the area. Most affected by it, however, was Crabrawler, who clamped the side of its head and seemed to snap at the Pokémon before taking off quickly for another set of trees further down the road, towards a house they had passed by just that morning.

"Wow, it's really loud for such a cutie!" Bonnie said, her own ears still covered. Serena, too, was covering her own and Ash was quite tempted to help her out, but Rowlet quickly decided that he had other ideas.

"Roh!" he chirped out as he finished off his berries and once more headed for the pile of them at the foot of the tree. Ash could only shake his head at his partner's enthusiasm, and Pikachu joined him in that act. Rowlet dove into the berries and grabbed a few, snarfing them down at high speed. He was about to eat another without any thought to the noise above him when he was suddenly hit by the small bird from above. "Koo! Koo!"

"Pikipiki!" the small bird snapped at Rowlet, and Ash noticed that while they were distracted from the loud noise, it had descended. Rowlet turned his head around, looking curiously. Then the other bird struck once again, its beak glowing a bright white before it suddenly hammered itself upon Rowlet's head. Ash blinked, watching it attack in very quick succession. Rowlet, tired from the activities, fell backwards, away from the berry pile. The other bird then nabbed as many of the remaining berries as it could before using its little wings to flap off into the sky, leaving but a small feather behind. Ash walked forward.

"You okay, Rowlet?" he asked of the little bird. Rowlet attempted to stand, but only managed to teeter back and forth. To that, Ash chuckled and saw Serena approaching with his backpack. "All right, time for you to rest."

"Pikapika," Pikachu said, patting his compatriot on the back as Rowlet returned to the snug contents of the bag. Once that was set, Ash stood back up, turning towards the sight of the little bird flapping off with the copious amounts of berries hanging from it. Some part of him wanted to follow it, but his stomach suddenly growled. "Pikapi…"

"Guess battling made me pretty hungry," Ash admitted, running over to the table quickly and putting his bag, with Rowlet inside, onto the ground. "Well, time for lunch!"

"Sounds great!" Clemont admitted, rubbing the back of his head. It almost seemed like he was just going to brush what had just happened away from them in order to eat. "Chespin! Bunnelby! Luxray! Grubbin! Come on out!"

"You, too, Sylveon, Pancham!" Serena called. In just moments, all of their Pokémon were out. Grubbin made an immediate leap for Clemont's bag, but the inventor, having grown used to it, moved it aside, skittering Grubbin along the ground. He decided to abandon his pursuit in favor of the food Bonnie was placing before all of them. As the Pokémon dug in, so did their trainers, fading into a simple banter between one another about their training session.

"You know, Serena, I noticed something," Clemont told her, earning her attention. "You're a great Performer, but…maybe you're a little singly-focused."

"What do you mean, Clemont?" she asked, crossing her legs. The bottom of her leg accidentally brushed up against Ash and she flashed a smile, as if to apologize, but he didn't mind.

"Well…Braixen knows an awful lot of Fire type attacks. Sylveon and Pancham both have a wide array of moves but Braixen…I mean, there's only so much you can do with them in a performance, right?" Serena tapped her chin, nodding lightly.

"You might have a point…" she admitted, looking over to Braixen munching happily away between Pikachu and Greninja. "Thanks for the thought, Clemont."

"No problem," the inventor said with a smile. He then turned to look at Ash, who blinked at him, unaware what he was trying to say with his eyes. "Pretty interesting lunchtime, huh?"

"I guess," Ash chuckled out, munching into a piece of bread. Now that he thought about it with his stomach a little full, it  _had_  been quite eventful. Especially with the greedy little bird from earlier. "Hey, Rotom, what was that Pokémon we saw earlier? The one that stole the berries from Rowlet?"

"Rotom will look," Rotom said, floating upward from where it was lazily resting against Ash's bag. "The Pokémon is a Pikipek, the Woodpecker Pokémon; this Pokémon feeds on berries, whose leftover seeds become the ammunition for the attacks it fires off from its mouth."

"A Pikipek…explains why it loves the berries so much," Ash said, finally finishing off his bread and leaning back. "Wonder where it went."

"Who knows?" Clemont said, waving his hand. "For all we know, it could have left the island. Though, we know where we're going."

"But maybe Rotom could tell us," Bonnie suggested, a sly leer angled up at the floating Pokémon. "It always seems like such a know-it-all."

"Rotom can only say what data it has, but Rotom can search for migration patterns," Rotom suggested. Ash just shook his head and stood.

"Nah, we should just get moving. I wanna get to that first trial, after all!" he said. From by the food, Pikachu and Greninja both pumped their fists, and even Rowlet seemed to snore out his own agreement from within the bag. Serena wiped her mouth and stood alongside him.

"Then let's get going!" she said to them all. That appeared to be the official order, as they all quickly finished their lunches and packed up, setting back onto the road again. Once they were going along at a nice pace, Serena pulled out her map and both Ash and Bonnie leaned in to check out the data on it. "If we keep following this path, we could arrive at the Verdant Cavern as early as tomorrow. Once we're past the nearby Berry Farm, it'll just be an afternoon trip and early morning to get to the Pokémon Center."

"Awesome!"

"Yeah! Ash gets to do his first trial!" Bonnie said happily. Dedenne bounced up and down with her. Clemont, meanwhile, adjusted his glasses to look ahead and peer at something.

"You mean that Berry Farm?" he asked, pointing straight forward. The trio looked up from the map and noticed a large fence approaching, enclosing a rather large plot of land where trees upon trees of berries were growing. In fact, there was even someone there: a young, plain looking woman who was watering one of the trees. She looked up at the sound of their footsteps crunching on the ground.

"Alola, travelers!"

"Alola!" Ash called out, alongside the voices of Serena and Clemont. The only one missing was Bonnie's. It quickly made sense as the girl was skipping ahead, twirling around and kneeling.

"Oh, pretty lady, won't you please look-" She couldn't even complete the words before Clemont stood still, glared, and sent his Aipom Arm shooting after her. Ash noticed he was still blushing in embarrassment, though, as he pulled her back.

"Bonnie, I've told you a million times," he said, scolding her. "I have a girlfriend now! You can't go proposing to every random girl!"

"I know  _that_ ," Bonnie admitted. "But I have to make sure you don't break Korrina's heart!"

"Bonnie!"

"Sorry about them," Serena said with a laugh. The woman raised her eyebrows a little but also laughed in response. "We were just passing by on our way to Verdant Cavern."

"Trial-goer?" the woman asked, placing the pail down as she wiped her hands on her apron. Ash nodded, coming closer to Serena's side. "I'm Hua, a farmer here. My father, Kumu, runs the place. You're more than welcome to stop in for refreshments."

"That's okay," Ash said with a chuckle. "We just had lunch, and we wanted to get to Verdant Cavern by tomorrow."

"Well, you're certainly an eager one!" Hua said, laughing a little as she played with her brunette ponytail. Ash just grinned. Truth be told, he knew Clemont probably wouldn't mind a little break, along with Serena (who'd been on her feet even before he woke up that morning to train), but the lure of his first trial was all too strong. Hua raised her hand in farewell, when the sound of flapping wings met his ears and Rowlet popped his head out of the bag. "Oh, hello there, little one. Brought back more food for the others, I see?"

"Pek!" the "little one" cried, and Ash turned. Landing on Hua's shoulder was the same little Pikipek from before. Of course, the only reason Ash knew this was because Pikipek turned to them and suddenly screeched. "Pek! Pek! Pek!"

"What's wrong with you, Pikipek?" Hua asked as the little bird dropped the berries into Hua's hands and flew up to Ash and Rowlet, who was peeking his head over Ash's shoulder. "Do you know these travelers?"

"I…think my Rowlet got on the wrong foot with that Pikipek. Though he was only trying to eat some berries. Is it yours?" Ash asked, pulling back a bit so that Pikipek's speedy Peck wouldn't jab a hole in his face.

"No, she and her flock simply rest on the farm grounds," Hua mentioned before whistling a little. Pikipek turned and then fluttered back over to her, resting on her finger. "She's a great berry hunter, but doesn't like it when people steal berries that aren't theirs. How did  _you_  seem to get on her bad side?"

"Uh…Rowlet was hungry," Ash admitted. Suddenly, he found himself separated from Serena by Bonnie poking her head through, Clemont behind her and still attached to her.

"So, you mean, there's more of those cuties?"

"Nedene?"

"Of course," laughed out Hua. She jerked her head towards the interior of the farm. "You want to see?"

"Yeah! Can we, Ash?" she asked, eyes shining up at him. For a moment, Ash had to admit that he wanted to refuse, but the idea of touring the place and seeing more of the Pikipek quickly became very enticing.

"All right," Ash said. Hua nodded, pleased, and she turned back in to the farm proper. Ash made sure to look over to Rowlet, still peeking out. "And don't try to eat all the berries, Rowlet. We don't want Pikipek on our bad side."

"Koo!" Rowlet hooted before popping back into the backpack. Grinning a little, Ash followed Hua at Serena's side as they stepped into the farm proper. Clemont was right behind him, looking around in interest at all of the Pokémon scurrying over the trees.

"We get lots of Pokémon looking to either have some berries or wanting to help out," the young woman explained. "Pikipek is one of those helpers. It's slow going, but we eventually pick enough berries to sell off in Hau'oli City. Dad usually drives down about once a month to sell the berries."

"Your output ratio must not be extraordinarily high, then," Clemont commented. Ash turned and saw the sparking look on his face. The inventor most certainly had an idea, and Ash had to admit that it made him rather excited.

"It's enough to get by. Ah, here, we are! Dad, visitors!"

"Hm…ah, alola!" The group all greeted the older, tanned man, dressed in nothing but a simple pair of overalls over a floral patterned shirt, his gray hair tucked back behind his ears. "What brings young travelers such as yourselves to our humble little farm?"

"They're on the Island Pilgrimage," Hua answered. Pikipek flapped away from her hand and Ash watched it fly, taking steps in its direction. She fluttered over to a smaller tree on the farm, barren but for its leaves. He continued taking in the conversation as he walked over to the tree.

"A wonderful thing for children to take," Kumu said with a laugh. "I myself didn't handle one, too busy inheriting the farm from my own father, and Hua's set to inherit from me!"

"Eighth generation of farm owners! We're tough!" Hua said, flexing her muscles. "Wish we could hire some extra help, though. Times can get tight."

"We manage," Kumu said, thumping his daughter on the back. Ash smiled at the sight of such friendly family interactions. Clemont appeared to step forward as Ash finally reached the tree.

"I could help with that if you let me," he said eagerly, but then Ash cut off the conversation in his mind and peered up into the small tree.

"Wow, look at that, Pikachu," Ash noted as he caught sight of Pikipek fluttering around, dropping all the berries that she could in the direction of other, smaller Pikipek. "You really are the mothering type, huh?"

"Piki?" she said, having clearly heard his voice from down below. Ash continued smiling up at her as the Pikipek flapped down, beating her wings quickly. "Pikipik!"

"Whoa, whoa, don't be upset!" Ash said, raising his hands to the air. Pikachu leaned forward a bit.

"Pikapika, chu pika Pikachu!" he said cheerily. Pikipek turned her head, as if now eying him warily, but not making a move. "Pika!"

"Pikipek," Pikipek finally said, nodding her head a little. She backed off, allowing Ash to draw a little closer to the tree. Now that he was close enough, he could see a couple other Pikipek making the rest of the rounds with the berries, feeding the rest of the nest that was there in the tree. Pikipek continued to stay airborne close to his head and Ash turned.

"You're a pretty hard worker, you know?" he said to her. Pikipek turned her head, as if interested in what he was saying. "The way you gather berries for everyone and fight off other Pokémon like that Crabrawler. I'm impressed. And sorry we got off on the wrong foot earlier. Rowlet's sorry, too."

"Kooooo…" Rowlet hooted from inside the backpack, though he didn't bother to pop out. Pikipek continued to observe him for a time while Ash just smiled. Eventually, Pikipek fluttered close to Ash's face and then pecked forward, tapping him lightly between his eyes.

"Looks like you two are getting along now," said Serena's voice and Ash, Pikachu and Pikipek turned to see her coming closer.

"Yeah, it was just a misunderstanding," Ash told her, looking to Pikipek for confirmation. She nodded and then flew back up to the tree to continue helping with the distribution of berries. "So, what's Clemont up to?"

"I think he's building a machine to help with picking the berries," Serena told him. Ash's eyes lit up with excitement, eliciting a giggle from his girlfriend. Without even thinking, Ash ran away from the tree and back to where the farming family and his two friends were. It appeared he was just on time, seeing as Clemont had finished his invention.

"Uh…what is it?" Hua asked, scratching the side of her head. Clemont began to chuckle under his breath.

"The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear on!" he declared loudly, and Ash could feel the excitement filtering into his veins. "I took the opportunity to build what I call the Berry Picker and Cultivator!"

"Yeah, real imaginative…" Bonnie sighed out, but she was still wearing a little smile. Ash's eyes now officially lit up, along with Kumu's, as both of the males leaned in.

"Science is so amazing!" Ash said with enthusiasm.

"That it is!" Kumu followed up with. Ash turned to the older man and offered him a high five, which he returned. "So, young man, how does it work?"

"Observe!" Clemont said, bending down and pressing a button. The machine spluttered to life, and with some of his initial excitement now ebbing, Ash could see the details on the invention. It seemed simplistic in design: circular like a cylinder but with wheels to help it move along easily. Sprouting out from it were two arms, one with a clipper and the other with what looked like a rake. Extending from it was a bucket, while a faucet appeared down below. Once it finished spluttering to life, the Berry Picker and Cultivator moved forward towards one of the ripe trees, dinging loudly. "You see, it finds which trees have the ripest of berries and then…"

The entire group watched as the machine moved right up against the first ripe tree and extended both of its arms upward. With the rake, it ran along, removing the easy to remove berries and placing them in the bucket. For those that seemed a little harder, the machine clipped them off with the scissors. It took little more than a quarter of an hour (during which, Ash and Kumu were entirely enthralled by the process) and soon, all the ripe berries were cleared off the tree. The invention then watered the tree and began to move along.

"That was pretty fantastic!" Kumu admitted, turning towards his daughter. "Don't you think, Hua?"

"It was something…" Hua laughed out. "It could certainly help with productivity. And it won't hurt the Pokémon?"

"Of course not!" Clemont claimed, tapping the palm logo on his chest. "On my pride as an inventor." Hua smiled at that, and the farming family stepped forward to give Clemont their thanks while Ash, Serena and Bonnie stepped backwards.

"Well…I'm surprised it didn't explode," Bonnie admitted, folding her arms a little. Ash and Serena both looked at her before she smiled. "It's nice to see him helping people."

"Then maybe you should have a little more faith in him," Serena suggested, poking Bonnie on the cheeks. Bonnie waved her hands, as if to break free, while Ash watched Clemont conversing with the family. The sound of fluttering wings once more hit his ears and he suddenly saw Pikipek hovering on his shoulder, opposite Pikachu.

"Pik!" Pikipek called as it fluttered down a little more and dropped a berry in Ash's hand.

"Is this for me?" he asked. Pikipek nodded with a smile in her eyes. Ash smiled and broke the berry in two, handing some off to Pikachu. "You're really kind, Pikipek. Hey, how would you-"

_Boom!_  The sudden sound of an explosion met all of their ears. Bonnie rolled her eyes, as if she knew this was coming sooner or later. Ash would have thought the same thing with a disappointed sigh…at least, until Greninja emerged from his pokeball.  _This is becoming a repeating thing, isn't it?_  Ash ran forward, right after Greninja as he dashed to the source of the explosion. Clemont was right beside him, Grubbin also popping out unexpectedly. The others weren't far behind them as they skidded to a stop.

"Bro, what  _is_  this thing?" called a voice. "It's a total piece of junk!"

"That's 'cause ya kicked it, bro!" said another voice. They sounded familiar, but Ash couldn't place where he'd heard them before. The only thing he knew, as the smoke started clearing from the wreck of Clemont's invention, was that his invention hadn't blown up on its own. Finally, the smoke billowed away and Ash caught sight of the people there.

"Team Skull…" Hua lamented with a tired sigh. "Those thieves are always causing problems."

"Yo, what'chu sayin' about us!" said one of the earlier voices. Finally things had cleared and Ash had a good sight of the two standing there.  _Yep, definitely familiar._

"You're the guys from Hau'oli City!" Ash called out, pointing at them as Pikachu leapt to the grass, cheeks sparking angrily. Behind him, he could see Serena gripping her pokeball while pushing Bonnie behind her. Rotom just floated around, looking confused. The two thugs blinked at Ash before pointing at him with wide eyes.

"Bwah! It's you! The brat with the super strong Greninja and Pikachu!" the first voice said. Truth be told, Ash simply couldn't tell which was which from before, they looked too much alike.

"Yo, that was totally unfair earlier!"

"Ash, do you know these thugs?" Clemont asked, clenching his fists. In front of him, Grubbin was clicking his pincers almost angrily, like he didn't appreciate seeing Clemont's invention so ruined.

"I…ran into them in Hau'oli trying to steal a girl's Pichu."

"That's what Team Skull does," Kumu explained. "Bunch of lowlifes that try to steal other people's Pokémon and things. But no one really takes them seriously."

"Sounds familiar," Bonnie drawled. Ash could definitely agree on that point as he moved his foot forward a little, preparing for battle.

"Yo, don't be talkin' smack about Team Skull! We're the biggest, baddest thugs out there!"

"So you admit that you're lowlifes. That's pretty sad," Hua said. The two thugs in front of them blinked a moment before leaning back in absolute shock, as if they hadn't realized what they'd said.

"That's a lowdown dirty trick, yo! You'll pay for that! Let's go, Zubat!"

"Pikachu, Greninja, time to bat-" Before Ash could finish his commands he suddenly felt something yanked off his shoulder and he tumbled down. Pikipek launched upward into the air, rapidly turning her head. Ash landed on his butt and looked up to see that Pikachu was dangling in midair. Well, "dangling" wasn't the correct word. It would be more accurate to say he was held there. "Pikachu!"

"Pikapi!"

"Ahahahahahaha!" laughed three voices in the air. Three  _annoyingly familiar_  voices.

"Again? !" Bonnie screeched. "Don't you three ever quit?"

"Yo, who are these people in that rockin' balloon, bro?"

"No idea, bro! But they're takin' Pokémon! That's our schtick!"

"Give Pikachu back," Ash roared, standing firmly on his feet and shaking his fist at the indomitable (or at least persistent) Team Rocket, floating before them in their Meowth-shaped hot air balloon.

"Ha! Prepare for trouble, it's a very berry dream!"

"And make it double, you can't beat  _our_  team!"

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken and break Pikachu free!" Ash ordered, pointing right towards Team Rocket. Greninja leapt upward, summoning the watery blades to his hands and flinging them forward. Unfortunately, they missed as Pikachu was retracted and placed into a cage. Jessie suddenly popped her head out angrily.

"What is  _wrong_  with you, twerp?" she screeched angrily. "You're supposed to let us finish our motto!"

"Yo, you have a motto?" said one of the Team Skull members, suddenly putting all attention on them. "Maybe we should get a motto. Ya know, somethin' like 'Team Skull is the biggest and baddest around. Mess with us and we'll make ya frown'."

"Bro, that's wicked! We gotta tell Big Sis and the Boss when we get the chance."

"Excuse me, stop interrupting our thieving!" James snapped out. "You Team Skull people will be next on our list after we take the rest of the twerps' Pokémon."

"We're not going to let that happen!" Serena called, throwing her pokeball up to call out Braixen. Bonnie also joined her, Dedenne bouncing onto the field, looking surprisingly ready to battle.

"Cry me a river," Jessie said. "Meowth, now!"

"Roger dat!" Meowth said and Ash watched him press a button. Suddenly, from the bottom of the balloon, a large vacuum came out and was activated. The large gale entered through the area, sucking up all of the berries on the trees and into a glass container that was hanging from the balloon. The berries weren't the only things disturbed as Ash saw some Yungoos and Bug types scattering from the attack. Greninja landed on the ground, crossing his arms and digging his feet in. "Ha, now all da berries will be ours!"

"Yo, they're totally stealing our stuff!"

"You thieves! Zubat, Supersonic!" Zubat made scratching noises as it flew out towards Team Rocket. Jessie seemed rather dismissive, especially since the poor bat could barely maintain balance under the vacuum.

"Oh, please. Gourgeist, use Shadow Ball," she said, flicking her finger a little. Gourgeist came out of her pokeball and floated forward, calling a black orb to her mouth before firing it at Zubat. It nailed the poor Pokémon, sending it tumbling backwards. "Aha! Looks like Team Skull doesn't stand a chance against the mighty Team Rocket!"

"Well, we do! Grubbin, use String Shot!" Clemont called. Team Rocket collectively looked down to see Grubbin angling himself upward. The sticky substance shot out quickly, right for Meowth. The feline screamed, their earlier fear from the encounter with Grubbin surfacing. In the panic, Grubbin managed to grab ahold of the remote and pulled it back, right into Clemont's hand. He dropped it and stamped hard, shutting the vacuum down.

"Yo, now we got a fighting chance!" one of the Team Skull members said. Ash split his vision between the two villainous groups, trying to figure out how best to tackle them, especially when Team Rocket was still holding Pikachu and the berries hostage.

"Serena, Clemont, you guys handle Team Skull! I'll handle Team Rocket," Ash told them.

"Got it, Grubbin, use Spark!" Clemont said without missing a beat. Grubbin whipped right around as his body blazed with electricity and he shot forward, nailing the Zubat trainer right in the stomach before he could call another Pokémon out. Serena joined in, ordering a Flamethrower that sent the second off balance. Ash, meanwhile, turned back towards Team Rocket.

"Jessie, he's got dat look in his eye again," Meowth said fearfully. Jessie just angrily brushed it off. However, it was James who was chuckling.

"Then it's time they get a taste of the new and improved Team Rocket," he said, the menacing chuckle still going. Bonnie stepped forward.

"Since when are you guys 'new and improved'?" she asked. "We already beat you once here in Alola, you know that."

"That was before we obtained our new ace in the hole! Crabrawler!" James tossed a new pokeball into the air and from the burst of light emerged an all too familiar Pokémon, clicking its claws rapidly. Ash peered at it, suspicions sparking in his brain. It was only confirmed by a separate action.

"Pikee!" Pikipek suddenly screeched, fluttering forth angrily as she faced the Crabrawler resting atop the balloon.

"That's the same Crabrawler from earlier!" Rotom proclaimed, pointing at their new foe. Ash nodded. Somehow, James had managed to catch Crabrawler after it had fled from its battle with Pikipek. The crustacean was clicking angrily now, staring down Pikipek, no doubt holding a grudge from earlier. Behind Ash, Serena and Clemont had seemed to have restrained the Team Skull members.

"I caught Crabrawler when it tried to take away our delicious dessert of berries and ice cream, just coming out of nowhere. Capturing it was the only option, and now he's part of the Team Rocket family!" James explained. "He wasn't too happy beforehand, and it seems he wants some revenge."

"And Team Rocket is all about revenge!" Jessie said, smirking lazily. Pikipek, however, was having none of their talk as suddenly, she opened her mouth and let out that same raucous noise, traveling in sound waves to impact with Crabrawler. Only, James wasn't playing the part of a fool.

"Bubblebeam!" he said giddily.

"Baraw!" Crabrawler cried, opening his claws and firing out a stream of bubbles right for the immobile Pikipek. Ash opened his mouth, telling Pikipek to dodge, but the call came too late. The bubbles moved at enormous speed, slamming into the Woodpecker Pokémon. As the steam from the attack cleared, she suddenly emerged, beak glowing white, and she streaked right after Crabrawler angrily.

"Of course…" Ash breathed out. Pikipek didn't like Crabrawler. Whether it was in general, or this one in particular, he didn't know, but it was obvious that the motherly collector didn't like the selfish thief.

"Power-Up Punch," James said, cracking his knuckles. One of Crabrawler's claws flung back, brimming with a bright orange energy as Pikipek headed on a straight collision course for the crab.

"Pikipek, pull back!" Ash yelled, but Pikipek was already past the point of stopping. She raced in as Crabrawler's fist slammed down on the bird, sending it crashing and spiraling downward. Ash ran forward and dove for the little bird, barely managing to catch hold of her. "You okay?"

"Pik!" she said, ruffling her feathers to assure him that she was. Ash stood and faced Pikipek seriously.

"Look, Pikipek, you can't just rush in. You'll only get hurt, okay?" Pikipek turned her head a little, listening to him. "Let me help you, okay. Follow my commands and we'll get all the berries back! Rowlet will help, too."

"Kurooo!" Rowlet quickly agreed, shooting out from the bag to hover by Pikipek's side. Pikipek still viewed him suspiciously but quickly flapped a little forward to tap him on the head, indicating that she was in this together.

"Great. Greninja, get ready when I give the signal. For now, you two need to combine your attacks. Rowlet, use Leafage and Pikipek, Feather Dance!" Rowlet shot off first, keeping his distance from the balloon as he flapped his wings. The leaves once more swirled out, but at the same time, Pikipek flapped her own wings sending out a gust of feathers that joined with the leaves. In a matter of seconds, they had surrounded Team Rocket and their balloon.

"Use Bubblebeam!"

"And Dark Pulse!" Both Crabrawler and Gourgeist opened fire against the now feathery and leafy combination. Rowlet turned his head back.

"Time to go, Rowlet! Use Pluck! Pikipek, get close with Peck and then Echoed Voice to give Rowlet an opening," Ash said, punching his fist forward powerfully. Rowlet practically disappeared from his high speed while Pikipek's beak glowed white and she shot forward like a bullet, right for Crabrawler. James' next order came and Crabrawler's claws glowed orange. Only this time, Pikipek stopped right outside of Crabrawler's range, opening her beak to let out an even louder sound, one that caused Crabrawler to topple over into the balloon's basket.

"Kuroh!" Rowlet hooted, now zipping inside the leaves and slamming into Jessie and Gourgeist. His claws latched onto the cage holding Pikachu and he took off with it. As he circled around to rejoin Ash, his talons dug in and broke the confines holding Pikachu in.

"Now, Greninja! Use Cut!"

"Ninja!" Greninja complied, speeding forward with his bright blade. He jumped at the last second, slicing through the glass container holding the berries. It cracked a little for a moment before shattering completely, the berries all tumbling out.

"The berries!" Hua called in distress, but Ash turned his head with a grin.

"We're on it! Grubbin, Chespin, gather as many as you can with String Shot and Vine Whip!"

"You, too, Sylveon," Serena called out. Even Dedenne ran forward in an attempt to gather as many berries as possible. The ones doing the most work, however, were Rowlet and Pikipek, each zooming through to grab as many as they could and depositing them safely into the basket. Even Greninja was using Double Team to do so.

"All right, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

"Oh, great," Meowth said. "Next time, I'm runnin' the operation!"

"Like you could!" Jessie yelled at her compatriot. Pikachu charged up his Thunderbolt and then let it loose in a searing arc that struck the balloon and its occupants, causing it to explode. Team Rocket went flying through the sky.

"How are the twerps so strong this early into a region? !" James yelled.

"Does it matter?" Meowth sighed out. "We're blastin' off again!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Nice job, Pikachu," Ash said as Pikachu landed on the ground and bounded over to him, receiving a scratch behind his ears. When he turned back, he saw that most of the berries had been cleared away, placed into baskets. The only ones that weren't seemed to be the ones that both Rowlet and Chespin and nabbed for themselves. "Rowlet…"

"Kurr?" Rowlet hooted, turning his head at a right angle. He then turned it around to see Pikipek looking at him. Blushing a little in embarrassment, Rowlet turned and offered his share of berries to the motherly one. Pikipek floated down and took two of the three, depositing them into the basket and leaving one for Rowlet. Chespin, seeing this, instantly consumed the rest of his own berries.

"Chespin!" Clemont scolded his Pokémon. Chespin just turned with a full mouth, grinning sheepishly. Ash laughed at that as Rowlet returned to his shoulder, alongside Pikipek.

"Yo! You don't just forget about Team Skull!" Ash and the others turned, staring at the free Skull members. He had honestly forgotten that they were even there, having put up even less of a fight than Team Rocket.

"Let's show 'em our totally wicked Pokémon, yo! Rattata!" Both of the Skull members tossed their pokeballs upward and from them emerged a pair of Rattata…only they once more looked different.

"Rotom, is this another one of those Alola Forms?" Ash asked, pointing at the black Rattata that looked to have little mustaches. Rotom bobbed forward.

"Indeed! Rattata are typically nocturnal in Alola and have thus gained a Dark type," Rotom explained.

"Yeah, well, we'll put your lights out!" one of the thugs before them said. Ash raised an eyebrow, knowing that he wasn't alone in doing so. The other eyebrow raised a second later at the new sight.

"And did Rotom mention that their natural enemy are Yungoos? They like to tear each other limb from limb," Rotom said, practically winking at the two opponents. Bonnie blanched at the description while the Skull members looked around and then at each other. Then they looked down at their feet, where some of the Yungoos that hung around the Berry Farm were lurking closer.

"Bro! No one told us about this!" one of them cried as the Yungoos leapt forward, biting down on a Rattata's tail. The Rattata yelped and began running around. So did its partner, the rest of the Yungoos starting to chase after them viciously. "This ain't cool! These trainers are nothin' to mess with!"

"We better just report to Big Sis!" the other one agreed, both taking their pokeballs out and calling their Rattata back.

"Nah, let's take it straight to the Boss!" The two ran forward, trying to run from the farm, even with the Yungoos still chasing after them. They skidded to a stop. "We'll be back, yo! Count on it!"

Then they were gone, the army of Yungoos chasing after them in a frenzy. Ash could only laugh, rubbing the back of his head. The others all joined in, especially Kumu, with his big, booming laugh. "Well, this has been quite the eventful afternoon! Machines, thieves and visitors all at once. A nice and exciting way to spice up the day."

"Ah, I apologize for any trouble my machine may have caused you," Clemont said, as if remembering the fact that his machine was trashed. It didn't look  _too_  bad, if Grubbin crawling all over it was any indication. Kumu stepped forward and slapped the blond inventor on his back.

"It's not a problem, not a problem. In fact, you think you could fix it up? And then, maybe you can all stay for dinner?" Ash, for once, wasn't sure about staying for dinner, wanting to get back on the road to his trial. However, his stomach grumbled almost immediately after. "I know there's one taker."

"Guess so," Ash said, laughing again. "Guess I'll also have to put my trial off another day, ha ha."

"Aw, don't worry about that," Hua said, playing with her ponytail just a little. "We own a truck and can get you there first thing tomorrow morning, so how about you all stay the night? We've got plenty of room."

"It does sound appealing," Serena noted. Ash looked to her and she shrugged, indicating the decision was up to him. However, he knew what the best decision for the group was, so he smiled.

"All right, sounds good to me!" he said happily.

"Great! I'll go get started on dinner and preparing the rooms while dad…fawns over the machinery," she said with an eyeroll and a wave, beginning to walk off. She stopped for a brief moment, however. "Oh, and Pikipek, if there's something you want to say, just say it."

"What?" Ash asked, tilting his head. What did she tell Pikipek that for?

He got his answer the second he turned around and saw Pikipek hovering in front of him, clasping a pokeball in her little claws. Ash watched it bob up and down for a moment, wondering a little where she'd gotten it from, but the message became very clear. Whether it was from the way he'd commanded her in battle, or perhaps that connection from their first encounter, Pikipek had chosen to go with him. "Pikipik!"

"You want to travel with me?" he asked. Pikipek nodded, and to Ash, he felt like he could understand her perfectly: she wanted to travel with him, because there was a connection. She had trusted in him and believed in him and, despite their completely opposite personalities, she had bonded with Rowlet. "You know you'll be leaving your family, right? I wouldn't want to take that away from you. I know what it's like to lose family."

"Piki!" Pikipek insisted, crying loudly. Another cry followed, this time from the tree where her family nested. Ash turned in its direction to see all the Pikipek suddenly burst out of the tree in a flock, as if giving her some kind of farewell. It was like they were saying they'd be okay without her. Breathing in, Ash nodded.

"Okay, then," he said, finally turning back and accepting the pokeball that Pikipek dropped into his hand. Pikipek chirped again and then knocked her beak against the pokeball. The capture device instantly sucked her inside, the ball beginning to rock and shake a bit before dinging with bright stars. Ash heaved in another breath before raising the pokeball out for everyone to see. "All right! I caught a Pikipek!"

"Pipikachu!" Pikachu cheered while Serena and Bonnie clapped around him. Clemont also gave a quick congratulations but went back to work on his invention, Grubbin pointing out an area that was sparking. Happy with his new partner, Ash threw Pikipek's pokeball to the air, the Woodpecker Pokémon emerging happily. She flew around a bit and then came close to Ash's face, tapping him lightly between the eyes.

"All right, Pikipek! Let's do the Island Pilgrimage together, then!"

"Piki!" Pikipek cried, fluttering down to Ash's shoulder and landing on it. She was facing Rowlet, who hooted softly at her, the two birds at a place of peace. Ash rose his fist into the air alongside all four of his Pokémon.

"Let's go make some dinner!" And with his expanded team, Ash and the others made their way to the house to help Hua make dinner, dreaming of nothing but the first trial and the excitement that came as a result of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Pikipek joins the team! How many didn't see that coming? "But Ash has two Flying types now!" Yeah, like that hasn't happened before. All things considered, I did go through heavy revisions to make sure Ash's team worked for what I liked and the story. However, I really liked the idea of a motherly Pikipek to contrast the gluttonous Rowlet. They'll be great friends, I'm sure.
> 
> On another, and different, note, this chapter actually was kind of fun because it was a little fluffy but also set things up for the future, mainly with Team Skull, of course. Oh, and James has a Crabrawler. I know, I didn't show him capturing it, but I felt that would have been a waste, and I had hinted at him seeing Crabrawler earlier in the chapter and their groups being in the same place, so it wasn't unnatural. Either way, it was fun and I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> I really do like all of your words that drive me forward. So, until the next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	9. A Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for part of this chapter, I wrote it using V (Volt) on repeat. I'm sure you can guess where when you get to it, and I suggest you use it as well! Now, time for Chapter 9!

Chapter 9

A Trial

It was early morning when Ash awoke, hearing the sounds outside in the Berry Farm. Stretching wide from his position on the couch, Ash stood and carefully stepped over Clemont, trading out his underclothes for his traveling ones and stepping outside. The sun was just rising over the island, bathing it in a golden glow. Ash sucked in a breath, hearing the creaking of the door behind him as Pikachu and Rowlet slowly made their way out to him, the latter looking just as sleepy as ever.

"Okay!" he said, his voice rising in volume. Rowlet snapped out of his stupor and to attention as Ash took Greninja and Pikipek's pokeballs, tossing them into the air. His other two Pokémon appeared alongside Pikachu and Rowlet, Greninja looking as stoic as ever while Pikipek looked sharp. "Today's the day of our first trial, guys, and I know we'll give it our all!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered, leading the others to do so as well.

"Pikipek, I know you're a little new, but I'm counting on you, too," Ash told his newest partner. Pikipek nodded from where she was flapping to remain airborne. "Let's go into this together and win!" His hands, and those (well, close enough) of his Pokémon touched one another and lifted high.

"I see you're as fired up as ever, Ash." He turned, noting that Serena was there, still dressed in her pajamas, as though she'd heard him leave and followed.

"Definitely. And I know I can win because you're rooting for me," Ash said, stepping closer to his girlfriend. He rarely took the time to appreciate how beautiful she looked in the sunrise. Serena nodded, indicating that he was right and Ash decided, based on his rumbling stomach, that it was time for breakfast. He stepped towards her, taking her hand as they headed back into the house.

To his surprise, the smell of food was already filling the house, and he noticed Kumu in the kitchen, cooking up some seemingly delicious food. The man grinned at them as they entered. "Hey there, just cooking up some breakfast. After you eat, we'll be all ready to go. All right?"

"Sounds good to me!" Ash insisted, taking his place at the table. Soon after, Kumu had put breakfast on the table and he and all his Pokémon were busy digging in. Clemont, Bonnie and Hua soon joined them, eating at a much more moderate pace. Regardless, the sun had finally risen by the time they were all finished eating and in the truck that Kumu used.

"Take care of the farm until I get back!"

"Will do," Hua said, waving at all of them. Rising into the air was the flock of Pikipek, sending farewells to Ash's new partner on his shoulder. "Good luck on your trial!"

"Yeah!" Ash called, raising his fist to the air from the backseat. The others all looked back with him, each of them giving their farewells to Hua as the truck started up and she soon disappeared into the distance. Once she had and they were on the dirt road, Ash faced forward again, most of his team all sitting on his shoulder as they drove along.

"Yay! This is a really quick way to travel!" Bonnie said, leaning outside the open air of the truck. Clemont appeared to panic, grabbing Bonnie by her shirt and pulling her back in. All she did in response was secure her hat and giggle.

As the siblings fretted and giggled, Ash turned to his team members by placing his backpack (Rowlet included) on his lap. "We're gonna train when we get to the Pokémon Center, okay! An extra hour of training won't hurt, and you can show me even more of what you can do, Pikipek."

"Pik!" Pikipek said proudly, putting one of her wings to her chest and bowing. Rowlet's feathers ruffled from it, almost like he was taking it as a challenge. Ash made sure to look at both of them sternly.

"Just remember, we're on the same team together," he told them and they both looked at him with little nods. Certain they'd be able to work together, despite their differences, Ash focused on the road ahead, blasting by them at a quick pace.

It seemed like comparatively little time had passed when Kumu was starting to slow down. Ash practically stood in the car, being brought back down only by Serena's hand. Though, seconds later, he found that she was staring at the sight as well. While the Pokémon Center was certainly nothing new, the natural structure that it was sitting next to was different entirely. At first glance, it appeared to be little more than a mountain of rocks, until Ash could see the bright green moss glittering in the sunlight, streaming into cracks in the surface. The closer they got, the more Ash could make out the mouth of a cave, with what appeared to be some brightly colored signs staked outside its entrance, glittering slightly. They looked to be the same color as his Challenge Amulet, though tinted with the green from the cave. No wonder it was called Verdant Cavern.

"Well, here we are," Kumu said, rolling to a stop outside the Pokémon Center. There appeared to be another car already there. "You kids all set then?"

"Yes," Serena answered for them collectively as they got out of the car. "Thank you very much for everything, Mr. Kumu. Alola."

"Alola, indeed. Good luck!" Clemont finally exited the car, joining the other three at the front of the Pokémon Center, which appeared to finally be getting its full start on the day. Kumu nodded and then spun around in his car before heading back towards the farm. Ash watched him go a moment, glad that they were able to help the kind berry farmer. Clemont's invention, which had been left working there that morning, was surely going to help them greatly. Seeing the farmer disappear into the coastal line, Ash hitched his backpack on his shoulder.

"Right. Let's go," he said, spinning on his heel and walking into the Center. Striding into the roadside Pokémon Center, Ash could see some trainers, younger and older alike, all exiting from the rooms that were there. Some of them looked almost dejected, while others were hopefully optimistic. Ash just set his face into a smile and approached Nurse Joy, a young boy with a Butterfree ahead of him.

"Please, Nurse Joy! Please make Butterfree better again," the boy said, almost looking like he was about to cry. Ash stopped, waiting as Nurse Joy took the Pokémon.

"I'll make sure of it," she told the boy, handing Butterfree off with care to a Chansey and Comfey with a gurney. The boy walked off, reining sobs in as Ash approached. "Ah, some new faces. Here to take Ilima's trial?"

"Sure am," Ash answered, quickly returning Pikipek and Rowlet to their pokeballs and handing them over to the nurse. "Just want to get my Pokémon checked over before I head in."

"A wise policy," Nurse Joy said, glancing back briefly at the injured Butterfree. "I hope you're prepared for quite the fight, though."

"Is that why that boy was so upset?" Serena asked, coming to stand next to Ash. He, however, was focusing on Nurse Joy and her words, especially once she was nodding.

"In fact, there are a lot of trainers who undertook Ilima's trial ever since he opened it again a few days back. Some were successful…others…well, you see the result," Nurse Joy indicated. Serena looked to Ash in slight worry, but he could already find the corners of his lips twitching into a grin, flushing with excitement. "That Totem Pokémon can be a beast."

"Totem?" Clemont asked, but he didn't get a straight answer. Nor did Ash care to.

"It doesn't matter! Whatever the challenge, we'll surpass it!" Ash said, throwing his fist to the air, while Pikachu emulated him. Some of the trainers looked around, like they seemed to think he was crazy, and even Nurse Joy seemed surprised by his attitude. Thankfully, she recovered quickly.

"Well, I'll give your Pokémon a quick check-up," Joy said in a rushed, breathy tone. "Please wait here."

"Okay. Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash said to her as she bustled off with Pikachu and the others. Having nothing to do, the raven-haired trainer leaned his back against the counter, hands gripping at its wooden surface while the excitement trickled in.

"I know that look," Serena said, leaning with him. "It's the 'I'm going to take on any challenge and win' look. You have it before every Gym battle, too."

"You know me so well," Ash said, wrapping an arm around her. Bonnie appeared to blanch for a moment, and then she looked around at all of the gathered trainers that were there. After her observations, she frowned.

"I wonder how tough this Totem Pokémon thingy is. Don't you, Dedenne?" she asked of her partner Pokémon. However, Dedenne was asleep in her bag, causing Bonnie to sigh. The sound of a door to the back of the Center reached Ash's ears, but he continued to wait for Nurse Joy before heading out for any training (though it wasn't like he could do much to begin with). "I mean, if this Pokémon is beating all of these trainers…"

"Then that's even better!" Ash said, pumping his fist a little. "Nothing better than a strong opponent to get me real fired up!"

"Great policy to take, cousin." Ash whipped around, as did Serena.

"Professor Kukui!" Clemont said, bowing low in greeting at the man. Ash's face lit up in recognition; clearly the car outside the Center had been the professor's. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Well, I did tell you that I'd be coming to watch Ash's trial," Kukui admitted. Around them, Ash noticed that some of the trainers were staring, and he began to feel just a little self-conscious. "It's not every day a trainer of your caliber takes on the trials, especially after having faced the great Kahuna himself. You all set?"

"Just waiting for my Pokémon to come back," Ash informed him, peeking around the older man to see if Nurse Joy had returned. "Gonna do a little bit of training before heading out to start."

"Good policy. How about a battle against me and Rockruff, then? She's certainly been eager to see you again. I left her playing around out back. She's been doing a little training herself, since I think she wants to impress you for some reason," Kukui said to them with his own little laugh. Ash had no other answer but to nod and acquiesce to it. "Besides, Ilima isn't back from his own preparations yet, so we've got some time to kill."

"Sounds like a plan," Ash admitted. There was a dinging sound, and Ash turned to see that Nurse Joy was returning with all of his Pokémon. Kukui stepped aside to allow the pinkette to return them to Ash. As he did so, Ash noticed a glint off the man's finger, something which Serena seemed to see as well, but promptly ignored it in favor of Pikachu jumping on his shoulder.

"Your Pokémon are all healthy and ready to go," Nurse Joy said, smiling at him. Ash thanked her and immediately looked towards the exit that Kukui had come through. The professor appeared to notice and he jerked his head toward the battlefield, letting them all follow along.

"Been a while, so you'll have to forgive me if my battle skills are a little rusty, Ash. Especially since I've never battled with Rockruff before; not exactly my Pokémon, you know?" Kukui laughed out, rubbing the back of his head. Ash thought of responding, but Serena was already asking a question of her own.

"Professor, can I ask…are you married?" she asked. Ash stopped short, causing Bonnie to run into him, alongside Rotom, who acted like it was rubbing its nose. Kukui also stopped and turned back to Serena with a grin.

"You noticed, huh?" he said, holding up his finger and displaying the band around it. Ash gulped a little. It wasn't that he thought Serena had expected anything like that from him (no, they were  _way_  too young for that), but that she had noticed something like that when he hadn't…well, it said that it was somewhere on her mind. Serena appeared to notice his small sense of trepidation, because she reached over and put a hand on his bicep, as if to reassure him that wasn't why she was asking. He appreciated that.

"Just now, so I was wondering."

"Yeah, my wife's great. I'm sure you'll meet her someday," he laughed out, once more resuming their forward progression. "Just like my assistant. She said she was going to be here for the trial, but she has this tendency of wandering off and getting lost. If I didn't see her at the house every couple of days, I'd really worry for her…and yet, she's the responsible one of the two of us! Ah, here we are."

"Ruff!" Rockruff barked the second they stepped out onto the dusty battlefield. Ash hardly had the time to turn before Rockruff had tackled him happily and began licking Ash's face.

"Not again, Rockruff!" Ash laughed out, practically buckling under Rockruff's affections. Pikachu, too, was laughing, patting the canine on the back. Eventually, Kukui appeared to take pity on Ash and bent down to pick Rockruff up.

"All right, Rockruff. Now's not the time for playing, okay?" Kukui told the little dog. Rockruff sunk a little, looking slightly sad. "We're gonna have a battle against Ash."

"Rock!" Rockruff barked out, clearly happy once again, that glint of determination in her eyes. Ash stood and dusted himself off. Rockruff was definitely an odd one; she seemed so enthusiastic to both play and battle, even if just to impress him, and while Kukui seemed to act like her trainer despite the claims he wasn't, she'd also taken far too keen an interest in him for that to be the case. He thought of asking the professor about it later, figuring he was probably mistaken, and instead walked over to one end of the battlefield. Now was the time to focus on the trial ahead.

"All right, Ash, we'll make this a quick one-on-one, huh?" Kukui said. Ash looked over to him, taking his place on the other end of the battlefield. Rockruff ran onto the field, hunkering down and ready to battle.

"Sounds good to me! Pikipek, I choose you!" Ash called, throwing out Pikipek's pokeball. The small bird emerged from the capture device, spreading her wings, ready for battle. Kukui's hand moved to his chin and he stroked it with interest.

"Ooh…you caught a Pikipek, I see. This should make things interesting," Kukui said. "All right, Rockruff, we're gonna have to be real sharp here. So, let's start with Bite!"

"Rockruff!" Rockruff growled out and she began speeding down the battlefield, aiming right for Pikipek. Ash watched her draw closer, her mouth opening wider.

"Dodge and use Feather Dance!" Ash commanded. Just as Rockruff lunged at Pikipek, the small bird flapped its wings to push itself upward. Rockruff missed, skidding back onto the dust. Ash turned his head a little as the subsequent flapping of Pikipek's wings led to a slew of feathers falling around Rockruff. "Now, Peck!"

"Rock Throw!" Kukui said, getting into the battle now that it had begun. Rockruff howled, and the small spikes around her neck flew outward and detached, converging into a giant rock that was then hurled at Pikipek. She was too close to truly dodge effectively.

"Use Echoed Voice!" Pikipek opened her beak and sent an array of soundwaves at the large rock, eroding some of it away, though not enough to completely stop it. The rock slammed into Pikipek, driving her slightly off course. "Use it again!"

"Ah ah, not giving you the chance. Rock Polish!" Kukui said, showing his immense energy. Ash had to blink; not at Rockruff suddenly gleaming with blue sparks, but at the trainer he was facing. It was just for a second (and a brief one at that), but for a moment, Kukui wasn't just some professor. He was a professional battler. It was like his aura had changed, and Ash could see past some of the veil surrounding him. Pikipek was striking, her sound waves shooting for Rockruff again, only for Rockruff to move at surprising speed and dodge it.

"If that won't do it, use Peck!"

"Pikee!" Pikipek cried, her beak glowing white as she spun down at Rockruff. Once more, the canine dodged, but Pikipek wasn't giving up, swooping consistently. As she did, Ash noticed his companions all at the side, watching with interest, along with a few other trainers that had gathered to watch the battle. It may have been a simple skirmish, yet something in Ash's mind told him they were battling at a level above that. Turning back to Pikipek, he saw that she was making her swoops tighter, to the point that just as Rockruff dodged, she whipped right around and slammed into her backside with the attack.

"Rock Throw!"

"Feather Dance again!" Ash called. The array of feathers shot out as Rockruff created the large rock above her head again. Ash's eyes narrowed. "Don't use them to surround Rockruff and lower its attack. Use them like a shield!"

"Pik!" Pikipek confirmed, flapping her wings once more. The feathers shot forward, creating what looked like a shield that blocked the rock, chunks of gravel and pieces of feather fluff scattering. A new sound joined their battle, too: the sound of clapping. All around them, Ash saw the different trainers spinning to face the newcomer, though he had a very distinct feeling he knew who it was.

"Ah, Ilima, everything set then?" Kukui asked. Sure enough, Ash saw Ilima striding right towards them with a smile on his face. He nodded briefly at Kukui before stopping before Ash.

"Pretty good battle, there. I hope you'll do just as well in the trial," the man said. The rocks and feathers on the field faded away, signaling an end to the battle. Ash gripped his pokeball and thanked Pikipek, returning her to her pokeball before answering.

"Well, I'm definitely ready for it," he told the captain. Ilima tapped a clipboard in his hand, as if signaling that he should follow, and then whipped around, aiming to leave the Center. Ash wasted no time in running after the man, his friends following close behind him. Even Rockruff was running after him.

Various trainers' eyes were following him as he trailed after the captain, making him feel just a little self-conscious. Was it because the captain himself was escorting him? Was it his battle with Kukui? It felt similar to when he was so enormously popular at the Kalos League and the Peace Tournament, and that wasn't always a feeling he liked. Still, looking back, he could see Serena smiling at him, alongside Clemont and Bonnie, while Rotom regaled Kukui with some tales. Gratefully, the stares didn't last too long as they were soon outside the Pokémon Center and making their way to the mouth of the cave they had passed earlier. Ilima strode right up to the signs there, taking out the pendant from his hair and pressing it to the signs.

"Whoa…" Ash commented, Pikachu exhibiting the exact same reaction. Ilima had touched his pendant to the signs and suddenly there was a bright blue glow around the entrance to the cave. It flared brightly for a second, and then vanished.

"As an honored part of Alola tradition, we have to make sure our trial sites are protected. Can't just let anyone or anything enter them. That's why only we Captains and Kahunas are able to open the path forward. I can't explain everything behind it, but there's something about the composition of these posts and our pendants that causes it to all work," Ilima explained. He then motioned to the inside of the cavern, as if telling Ash to move ahead of him. The raven-haired trainer looked to Pikachu on his arm and nodded; they were ready to begin. Clenching his fists, Ash ran forward into the gaping cave.

His feet first pounded along rocky surfaces, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the cave walls. However, it soon became muffled, like he was standing on moss of some sort. This was proven true as he emerged into brightness, sunlight flooding into the cave. Stretching out before him was a large cavern that sloped upward, covered in grass and moss, sunlight glittering around. To Ash's side appeared to be a pathway that led upwards, unobstructed by the otherwise uneven field before him.

"That's for your friends," Ilima said to him.

"You mean we can't stay and watch?" Bonnie asked in disappointment. Ilima chuckled while Kukui placed a hand on her shoulder.

"There're reasons for that," the professor told her, though it hardly improved her mood. Serena looked towards Ilima, as if expecting an explanation. The pinkette decided to give it.

"The trial,  _my_  trial, requires the trainer to solve a task alone," he told them, first gazing at Serena before looking over to Ash and staying there. "So, that means you can only rely on your own ingenuity and Pokémon to solve the task I'm giving you. Once you've completed it, we'll have our battle."

"So, it's two parts," Clemont noted, adjusting his glasses. Ash didn't look at his friend, but nodded at Ilima, indicating that he understood.

"What do I have to do to battle you, then?" he finally asked. Ilima lowered his head a little, staring down slightly towards him.

"Your task is to find all of the Yungoos and Rattata in the Verdant Cavern and defeat them," Ilima explained to him. "However, there's a catch. You only have two hours to do so, and you cannot receive any help from Rotom, there."

Ash's face set itself into a serious expression, but he nodded. Ilima certainly wasn't making it easy for him to win at his first trial, and yet…"Got it. I'm ready."

"Then I'll see you at the top," Ilima said simply. "Island Challenger, the Trial of Ilima begins here and now!"

"Good luck, Ash!" Bonnie waved out, already trailing after Professor Kukui.

"Go get 'em," Clemont assured him. Lastly, Serena stepped forward, offering him a very chaste kiss on the lips as her way of encouragement. Then she was skipping off after the others. Ilima brought up the rear, sealing the alternate way up the hill, also lined with the same markers. In mere seconds, it was practically silent in the Cavern, nothing but the sound of trickling water echoing around.

"Pika…pikachu…" Pikachu said, as if expressing worry over the silence. Ash just turned to his best buddy.

"No worries. I already have an idea," Ash said, looking right at him. Pikachu leapt off his shoulder as he gripped Greninja's pokeball, sending it outward.

"No one finds things quickly better than Greninja," Ash told the both of his veteran Pokémon. Greninja nodded in agreement as he appeared while Pikachu's ears seemed to perk up in understanding. "And if we combine our powers, we can double the effect! Let's go, Greninja!"

"Nin-ja!" Greninja said, and both raised their arms into the air. Closing his eyes, Ash could feel the water torrent surrounding Greninja and coalescing into the same old shuriken. When the transformation was complete, he opened his eyes and could see straight through Greninja's gaze. "Gren…ninja gren?"

"I don't know where they'd be hiding," Ash said, folding his arms just as Greninja was doing. "But if we find them, then Pikachu can beat them all no problem!"

"Chupika!" Pikachu agreed wholeheartedly.

"Let's just sense for them and find them, okay. Then we'll hunt them down and beat them!" Greninja nodded with Ash and the two breathed evenly, slipping into a deeper state of synchronization (or so Ash felt). He could see and sense everything that Greninja was sensing, their gazes scanning the cavern quickly. Ash could feel within Greninja how odd this felt for the both of them; they were so used to battling, that solving their problems in a different way to reach their goal was entirely foreign. Unfortunately, it also meant they couldn't sense anything.

Frowning, Ash stepped forward and closed his eyes again, just as Greninja did. Pikachu remained where he was, waiting for the both of them. Closing his eyes allowed Ash to begin making use of all his other senses, and Greninja's as well. He could feel the breath of the air across him, could taste the dew in the cavern. Most important, however, was that he could hear scurrying. The sounds of claws scrabbling against the moss, two different sets. His eyes snapped open, and now he could see them. Their sounds had already led to their locations. Eight in all, four different areas; small caves where the air was passing through unseen.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken, but be careful. And Pikachu, Electro Ball, rapid fire!"

"Ninja!" Greninja cried, grabbing his giant shuriken from his back. He aimed towards one of the small culverts directly in front of them and threw it. Meanwhile, Pikachu had called forth his own Electro Ball and fired three of them off in the directions of the caves. The four attacks hit, sending some dust billowing out from the little inserts, despite them being so far away.

"Did we get them?" Ash asked, though it wasn't like he was expecting an answer. Instead, he stopped and listened. After a few seconds, he heard the scrabbling once again, this time moving in a frenzy. Most disconcerting, however, was that there were still eight in all…and their position had changed.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu said, concerned over having completely missed their target. Ash frowned. He could have sworn he had hit them dead on.

"Well, then we'll just have to go to them," he said to both of his partners. Greninja nodded while Pikachu took the initiative and ran right for the small hole that Greninja had attacked before. "Great idea, buddy. Head inside and see what you can see!"

"Pika!" the Electric type mouse agreed, dashing forward on all fours to enter the cave. Ash and Greninja drew closer, their bodies in a battle-ready stance in case one of the Yungoos or Rattata decided to pop their heads out. Pikachu's voice seemed to disappear down the tunnel and Greninja looked back at Ash, who shrugged. "Pikapi!"

"Pikachu?" Ash asked, hearing his partner's voice from somewhere else in the cavern. Whipping around, he could see that Pikachu had appeared up and to the left, waving down at him. "How did you get up there?"

"Pika pika, Pikachu…" Pikachu told him, and Ash got the gist of it. Clearly the small tunnels here were connected, allowing their targets to freely move from one end to the other with speed. Ash grinned at that; two hours or not, he had an idea of how to at least track down their targets.

"All right, we'll have to tag team 'em," he said authoritatively, pulling out both Rowlet and Pikipek's pokeballs, tossing them into the air. His two fliers emerged with a cry, ready to act. "All five of us have to work together, okay? I'll stay here, and Pikachu, you go in there again. Pikipek, upper left, Rowlet, middle right and Greninja to the tunnel at my side. Once you're all there, we'll attack!"

"Rrrroh!" Rowlet cried out, emboldening the others to follow his example. Both Rowlet and Pikipek swooped off for their respective tunnels as Greninja ran along, making Ash feel the springy moss beneath his feet. Ash put his fists up, waiting, in case he was attacked. It was time to put all of that physical training to good use, and, for once, not in a life or death situation. It made him feel…well, almost normal. A breath of fresh air that he and the others needed. Lifting his gaze upward, he saw that all of his Pokémon were stationed at four of the ten different tunnels he noted there were.

"All right, all at once, attack!" Ash called, throwing his fist into the air. Pikipek stationed herself at the tunnel and let off an Echoed Voice while Rowlet kicked forward, throwing his Tackle into the tunnel. Pikachu summoned his electricity and sent it searing into the tunnel while Greninja threw his shuriken in. Ash readied himself as the attacks all struck, sending a slight tremor through the cavern.

_1…2…3…4…5…_ Ash breathed in, and then he heard a screech. Looking down, he kicked out right as a Yungoos suddenly emerged from the tunnel at his feet. The Yungoos avoided the strike and aimed a Bite right at his face. Ash fell back to dodge and Yungoos sailed over his head, landing on the ground and dashing off to the right for another tunnel. At the same time, he noticed that Pikipek was pursuing a rogue Rattata on her upper level.

"Well…that didn't work," Ash thought to himself. He sat up, crossing his legs as he tried to think, all four of his Pokémon returning to his side. "Don't suppose you all have any ideas?"

"Piki…" Pikipek stated sadly, and Ash simply patted her on the head. He folded his arms, thinking. Even trying to flush the Yungoos and Rattata out of the tunnels wasn't working out. They simply couldn't all attack at once and manage to take them all out within the time limit. It was frustrating! Had this been a Gym battle, he would have already figured it out, but as it stood, the trial seemed confusing and almost pointless.

"Wait…" he breathed, a memory bubbling up to the surface. His eyes narrowed, peering into the inky blackness of the tunnel before him as he recalled the events yesterday. Of those Team Skull people calling out a Rattata…and Yungoos attacking them. "Natural enemies…"

"Kuroh?" Rowlet asked, tilting his head. Ash started to smile, looking up. Yungoos on the right; Rattata on the left. Both natural enemies of one another, keeping safely to their territories. It probably seemed a little mean, but Ash had to wonder what would happen if he made them cross territories.

"I've got it, but we've gotta be quick, okay?" Ash said to his team. They all nodded. "Rowlet and Greninja, you guys are really quick, so I need you to move as fast as you can from tunnel to tunnel on the left and right. Drive the Rattata and Yungoos to the center, okay? Then, once they're there, we'll take action."

"Nin!" Greninja agreed, and he instantly dashed off, practically disappearing. Rowlet watched him a moment before taking his example and zipping away to the left. Pikipek landed on Ash's shoulder while Pikachu remained alert. Ash kept his gaze forward, watching as Rowlet began flapping, summoning a Leafage that began to consume the entire left side of the cavern, filling all of the tunnels with leaves. At the same time, Ash sent commands to Greninja through their link as the frog used Double Team, consuming the right side with his copies before throwing all of their shuriken.

"Come on…" Ash said, hoping that his plan had worked. His fist clenched, eyes flitting between both sides when a screech sounded. He snapped upwards and saw a band of Yungoos emerging from a tunnel on the upper level. They weren't alone, as the panicked Rattata were fleeing from the storm of leaves that Rowlet was creating…right on a collision course for the Yungoos. "Block them from escaping!"

"Gren!" Greninja cried, his copies vanishing as he leapt over the rocks to keep the Yungoos and Rattata pinned in. Rowlet joined him, a fierce expression upon his face. Ash stepped forward, he and the other two moving to join them as the two groups saw one another. There was a brief second where both the Yungoos and Rattata stopped. Then, in the very next second, they seemed to abandon all reason and leapt at each other. One of the Rattata fell to the side while a Yungoos was picked up by a Rattata's teeth and tossed against a rock. It was brutal.

"We'll have to stop them before they tear each other apart," Ash noted, finally catching up. "Pikipek, let's stop them with a little Feather Dance."

"Pik," Pikipek confirmed, flapping up and beating her wings to send a cascade of feathers down. The two groups didn't stop fighting, but it certainly seemed less harmful than it was before. Still, Ash knew that wasn't the goal of the trial.

"Now, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried. Pikachu's body brimmed with electricity.

"Pikachuuuuuuuu!" his partner cried, sending the searing Thunderbolt out. Neither group saw it coming, the attack impacting with exploding sparks and blasting them all back. When the dust cleared from the attack, it showed all eight of them dazed upon the ground, allowing Ash the chance to walk up to them. As he did so, they began to stir feebly, giving him the opportunity to stand in between them.

"Sorry for chasing you all from your homes," Ash told them, crouching down to apologize personally. The Yungoos and Rattata all growled at one another, practically ignoring his words. Ash sighed. "Hey, no fighting! I know you're natural enemies and all, but try working together and you can make an even better home."

"Yung?" one of the Yungoos asked, stopping its growling and tilting its head. Ash smiled at it, reaching out to pet it on the head.

"That's right. By working together, you can enjoy more. Sure, you might fight, but I'm sure there's a way for your two groups to work it out," he told them. The Rattata and Yungoos still appeared wary, but Ash stood, giving all of them a stern expression. It was soon followed by a surreal experience, but Ash watched as one of the Rattata stepped forward and bumped heads with one of the Yungoos. Then the Rattata turned around and scampered back to their side of the cavern, the Yungoos following suit soon after. "Think that counts, guys?"

"Pika…" Pikachu said, shrugging a little. A light from Ash's side showed Greninja coming out of his form as he stood there stoically. Deciding there was nothing else for it, Ash walked upwards, heading for the bright light at the top of the cavern. His Pokémon trailed behind him the closer they got. As he ran, thoughts entered Ash's head. Trials were definitely different: less a battle and more an interaction with nature. It made sense, given everything else he'd seen with Alola and their ties to nature, but it was still surreal.

He dug his feet in more, pumping them up the hill until he finally reached the cavern's mouth. The same signs leading to the trial site were erected there, and for a moment, Ash feared he'd slam into them, but it proved to not be the case as he blasted through it, emerging into a wide open part grassy, part rocky meadow, the sun shining down on what looked like a stone dais that served as a battlefield.

"Ash! You did it!" Serena's voice was the first thing he heard, turning to the side where he saw his friends all clustered with Kukui and Rockruff. His girlfriend ran forward and managed to nearly tackle him to the ground from happiness.

"So I made it?" he asked.

"You did," Ilima responded. Serena removed herself from Ash and the raven-haired trainer noticed that Ilima was standing at one end of the battlefield, his clipboard abandoned in favor of a pokeball he was tossing up and down gently. Ash saw Serena retreat to the side of the area with the others, all of them looking pleased that he had passed the first part of the trial. "And quite handily. Half of the trainers don't even figure out a way to clear the trial on their first attempt. Tell me, how did you do it?"

"Well…I have Rotom to thank for it," Ash said, pointing towards the floating Pokédex.

"Bzz, what did Rotom do?" Rotom said, looking slightly confused.

"Yesterday, at the farm, you mentioned that Yungoos and Rattata are natural enemies. All I did was drive them against each other. Once they were distracted, I took 'em out," Ash explained. He kept his gaze on Ilima as he said all this, the man's expression never changing. When he finished, Ilima inclined his head a little.

"And what did you learn?"

_Learn?_  Ash asked in his head. He supposed that there was something to learn from the trial, but he never thought he'd be asked about it.  _Or it could just be because Ilima is an ace student._

"Well…I guess that sometimes there's a balance to things," Ash said, spouting off the first thing that came to his mind. "If the Yungoos were ever to become a problem, the Rattata would balance them out, and the same in the other direction. They both have their own purposes."

"A good answer," Ilima said, now smiling. Ash smiled back, glad that he seemed to have passed that particular test.  _Purpose, huh?_  he thought to himself, stepping towards the battlefield. For a small nanosecond, Ash had to wonder if the trial was testing his own purpose, and if it was connected to his dream.  _Why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?_

"So, does that mean we battle now, or…?" Ash asked, shaking Hala's words from his mind.

"It does. Two-on-two," Ilima said. Just as he said so, a man wearing an aqua blue shirt and hat stepped forward, said shirt bearing the emblem of the Island Trials. He was a portly man, but otherwise nondescript. Nevertheless, Ash had a feeling he was the referee for the fight.

"This battle will be a two-on-two battle between the trial-goer, Ash, and the trial captain, Ilima. Only the trial-goer will be allowed to switch Pokémon and the battle is over when both of one side's Pokémon have fainted! This will include a battle against the Totem Pokémon!" the referee said, lowering his hand. "You may begin."

"Guess we're getting right to it, huh?" Ash said, coming fully forward to stand in the trainer's box. He looked to his group of Pokémon, all of them obviously eager to battle. However, he knew who he wanted to help him win his first trial. "Pikachu, Greninja, you guys cheer for me with the others. I want my newest team members to help me to win this one."

"Pi!" Pikachu agreed, running over to Serena and leaping onto her shoulders. Greninja returned more slowly, arms remaining folded.

"Do your best, Ash!" Bonnie called over.

"I'm sure you can win," Clemont said, though even then he heard a tinge of nervousness inside the boy's voice. Ash reached up to adjust his hat a little and nodded.

"Definitely. Pikipek, I choose you!" Ash called, pointing forward. Pikipek flapped forward, brushing past his ear to go and flutter above the center of their side of the battlefield. Ilima smiled softly at this, and tossed his own pokeball upwards.

"Time for the trial, Raticate," he called. The light burst from the pokeball as the Raticate emerged. Ash narrowed his eyes, noting that just like its pre-evolved counterpart, Raticate looked different. Its fur was black and its cheeks bulging, though it looked just as temperamental, and its teeth just as large, as its Kanto type. Ash grinned. It was always a challenge to face a new Pokémon. "I'll allow you the first move as challenger, Ash."

"Great! Pikipek, start off with Peck!" Ash called, wasting no time in getting into the battle. Pikipek adopted a fierce expression and then dove straight for Raticate, her beak glowing a bright white. Raticate didn't move, its puffy cheeks bulging as it stared up at Pikipek. The Woodpecker Pokémon closed the distance quickly and slammed right into Raticate's chest. "Awesome job!"

"Raticate, use Assurance," came Ilima's calm command. Ash flinched a little. He should have expected a counter move like that from the way Raticate hadn't even made a move to dodge. The Dark type reared back, absorbing Pikipek's blow before its front claw glowed purple and orange. It then punched forward, slamming into Pikipek and throwing her back.

"Pikipek, are you all right?" Ash asked. Pikipek shook her head and then spread her wings with a cry, showing that she was more than okay. "Great, now use Echoed Voice!"

"Pikeee!" Pikipek cried, opening her beak and shooting off the powerful soundwaves that she had used before. They battered upon Raticate, who seemed to twitch under the force of the attacks.

"That was a great strategy!" Ash heard Clemont saying as Pikipek's assault continued. "If Ash can't get close because of Assurance, using Echoed Voice to keep the distance is a smart idea."

"Yeah, but that battle's only beginning," Serena said, and he could see her folding her arms. "I'm sure Ilima has more tricks up his sleeve than Assurance."

Ash grinned at that prospect; Serena had really come into her own, being able to observe battles the way she just had. She was absolutely right, of course, and Ash made sure to maintain his focus on Ilima, who seemed ready to counterattack. "Raticate, use Quick Attack."

"Kora!" Raticate cried, body blazing with bright light. Despite the soundwaves being fired off, it blasted forward, moving at quick speed. It jumped as it approached Pikipek, no doubt planning to have an easy hit; one that Ash wouldn't allow.

"Dodge, Pikipek, and then use Echoed Voice again!" Ash ordered. Pikipek flitted to the side and Raticate went past her, missing entirely and landing upon the stone surface. The bird quickly made an about face and then opened her beak to send the devastating soundwaves off again. They were bigger this time, and appeared to be causing Raticate more damage than before.

"The wonderful side effect of Echoed Voice," Kukui commented, no doubt grinning at the execution of the move. Rockruff barked enthusiastically at his observation.

"What is?" Bonnie asked.

"Echoed Voice is a move that raises in power every time it's used in succession," Rotom answered quickly before anyone else could. Bonnie oohed at the thought of it, but Ash still kept himself focused, wondering just what Ilima would plan to do next. Raticate may have seemed pinned, but Ash knew that was far from the case.

"Scary Face," the captain said. Ash grit his teeth as Raticate's face grew dark, its eyes gleaming. Pikipek's Echoed Voice faded away as she flinched from it. "Now, Hyper Fang."

"Dodge it," Ash yelled. Raticate's fangs elongated, glowing brightly, and it leapt straight for Pikipek. The Woodpecker Pokémon attempted to dodge, but the Scary Face had clearly taken its toll, preventing her from moving out of the way in time. Raticate chomped down upon Pikipek and she cried out before the Mouse Pokémon flung her away. She spun through the air, but was eventually able to right herself, breathing heavily. "We'll need to decrease its attack. Use Feather Dance!"

"Pekipek!" Pikipek consented, beating her wings furiously. Groupings of feathers completely surrounded the battlefield the more that Pikipek flapped, obscuring her from view as they touched upon Raticate's fur. It was just the thing they needed.

"Now use Peck, and be quick!" Ash yelled, throwing his hand out. Pikipek didn't see the action, but she obeyed all the same, diving through the cover of her self-produced feathers, her beak glowing white. She slammed into Raticate, driving it back and then flapping back to avoid any retaliation from Assurance.

"Hyper Fang!" Ilima said, his voice rising. Raticate's fangs once more glowed as it lunged out, catching ahold of Pikipek's tail feathers. She struggled against it, trying to break free. "Now, Quick Attack."

"Use Echoed Voice!" Ash ordered. Pikipek turned around from where she was being held as Raticate's body blazed with white light once again. Her beak opened wider than before and sent the now bright blue soundwaves firing out, consuming Raticate's body. The white aura began to fade, and its jaws slackened, allowing Pikipek the chance to break free. Raticate tumbled backwards from it and Ash saw his perfect chance. "Now, finish it with Peck!"

"Pikipeh!" Pikipek screamed as she made one final assault, slamming into Raticate's face with a powerful Peck attack. The Mouse Pokémon flew backwards, tumbling off the stone battlefield and landing on its stomach, unstirring.

"Raticate is unable to battle. Pikipek is the winner!" the referee called.

"Yay! Yay! Go, Pikipek!" Bonnie cheered, Dedenne joining in jubilantly.

"A very nice and clean victory," Kukui commented.

"Just one more to go and Ash will complete his first trial," Serena said and Ash took a brief look over to her to see her eyes shining, Pikachu cheering within her arms. He grinned at her as Pikipek returned.

"Great job, Pikipek. You okay to keep going?" Ash said to his partner. She spread her wings with a cry, indicating she was ready for anything. Nodding at her, they both turned to look at Ilima, who had returned Raticate.

"That was a good battle," the captain said with a smile as he tucked his pokeball away. However, he didn't make a move to pull out another one, something that Ash found odd. He even tilted his head at the sight, especially when Ilima's smile widened. "But  _now_  is when your true trial begins."

"My true trial?" Ash asked. He didn't wait long for an answer.

There was a sudden shuddering throughout the cave, vibrating his entire body. Flocks of other Pikipek and Spearow resting atop the cavern's top seemed to take off at the sound. His Pikipek looked around in confusion, tensing at the vibrations in the air. Meanwhile, his companions all bunched together, fearful of what was to come.

Then, like a sudden burst of energy, rocks exploded from behind Ilima, revealing a column with a shining crystal. Only, that wasn't all it revealed. There was also a cave behind it, and coming from within that cave was a large Pokémon that towered over Ilima, himself. Ash swallowed a little.

"Rotom…" he called out. The Pokédex floated a little forward.

"Gumshoos, the Stakeout Pokémon and evolved form of Yungoos," Rotom began to speak. "It adores having Rattata and Raticate for dinner, but as it's diurnal, it never encounters them. This Pokémon boasts incredible patience. Though this one could likely fit even more than usual."

"Then this is…?" Ash began, tightening his fist at the sight of the giant Gumshoos, a Pokémon with slicked back yellow fur and squinting eyes.

"A Totem Pokémon," Ilima explained. "By all rights, it's just a Pokémon that lives in the wild, not belonging to any trainer. I doubt any trainer could handle it. But we've worked together to take on challengers. Gumshoos, here, is at the top of the heap in the Verdant Cavern, and he'll be your final test."

"A Totem, huh…" Ash said. He grinned once more and punched his fist into his hand. "That gets me way fired up."

"Good. Gumshoos, you'll battle with me again, won't you?" Ilima asked, patting the giant Pokémon on its back.

"Gum," it grunted out, turning to face Pikipek with an almost sinister expression.

"Excellent, then. We'll make the first move. Leer!"

"Get in there quick with Peck!" Ash ordered. He already had a sense that Gumshoos was a big enough threat without the Leer, and didn't want to give it the chance to be any stronger. Pikipek's beak glowed white and she dove at Gumshoos.

Suddenly, a bright orange aura flared to life around Gumshoos, just as Pikipek made contact. The Totem didn't even budge, grinning down at Pikipek with the Leer. Pikipek backed off, almost like she was scared of the giant beast before her. That was before his claw came flying out, whipping up copious amounts of sand that obscured Pikipek from sight. Ilima hadn't ordered it, and Ash narrowed his eyes. It was no wonder that this Totem Pokémon was so dangerous: a special aura that seemed to boost defense along with acting effectively without a trainer's orders while working alongside one. He knew they'd have to be careful.

"Don't worry too much about the sand," Ash said. "It's a big target, so flap your wings to clear the sand right in front of you and use Peck!"

"Piki!" Pikipek acknowledged within the swirl. Ash peered into the dust cloud and saw puffs of it going upward, indicating his Pokémon's presence. A loud thud indicated that Pikipek had struck home…unfortunately.

"Revenge," Ilima said. Gumshoos raised a giant arm, glowing a bright white with some steam coming off of it, before slamming it back down onto Pikipek. The sand cleared from the sudden blast of the force as Pikipek skidded along the ground. She weakly struggled, attempting to move, but unable to get up very fast as Gumshoos stalked forward.

"Its strength is immense…" Clemont commentated. It was certainly something he had realized himself.

"Then let's reduce that strength. Feather Dance!" Ash called. Pikipek barely managed to raise her head and flap her wings a few times, the glistening white feathers surrounding and touching down upon Gumshoos before the mighty Pokémon came crashing down on her with large and glowing white fangs. Ash flinched, already knowing the outcome. Sure enough, Pikipek was left prone on the field.

"Pikipek is unable to battle. The Totem Pokémon, Gumshoos, is the winner." Ash grimaced, but stepped forward onto the field as Gumshoos stepped back. He quickly picked up the tiny Pikipek and cradled her in his arms.

"Are you all right, Pikipek?" he asked. She stirred in his arms and then reached up to peck him on his forehead. He laughed a little. "Thanks for a great battle. You've definitely made it possible for us to win."

Pikipek chirped just a little bit before Ash returned her to her pokeball and came to stand back in his trainer's box. He looked over to Ilima, standing calmly behind the Totem. Gumshoos eyed him with a grin, just for a moment, before howling. The howl filled the cavern, but Ash didn't budge an inch. He didn't even react when two Yungoos suddenly scampered down the walls to join their evolved form. Ilima was grinning. "I see you realize what battling a Totem means, now."

"Enhanced abilities, able to act on its own, and it can even call on its friends," Ash answered the captain. "Don't worry, I've got it all covered. My other Pokémon will bring it home. Rowlet, I choose you!"

"Kurrroh!" Rowlet chirped, flying forward. Ash had the feeling that he had been sleeping during Pikipek's battle, but that was all for the better; it meant he'd be able to win now. Over with his friends, Pikachu was cheering loudly from Serena's arms, and Ash could even feel that Greninja was nodding, urging him forward.

"All right, Rowlet, let's win this one! It's a tough opponent, but I know we can do it," he said to the Grass type. Rowlet nodded, hovering in the air. Ash looked to Ilima, who nodded as well, granting him the first move of the battle. "Use Leafage and create as many leaves as you can!"

"Roh!" Rowlet cried, flapping his wings just like Pikipek. Instead of feathers, this time it was a cornucopia of leaves that sailed out, completely covering the battlefield in the foliage. Rowlet soon disappeared within, and Ash knew it was time to act immediately.

"Use Tackle!" he cried. He heard Rowlet's call from within the leaves as they battered Gumshoos body. Next, he saw the shadow of his Pokémon move close, talon aiming out in a kick. The force hit Gumshoos, who actually appeared to flinch, taking both attacks at the same time. Rowlet backed off as soon as the force hit.

"Revenge, once more," Ilima said. Gumshoos arm once more glowed with the steam and it struck forward. For a second, Ash thought that Rowlet was out of range, but Gumshoos reach was far wider than he'd expected and it slammed onto Rowlet, sending it cascading to the ground. The two Yungoos on the field then struck forward, pelting Rowlet with their Bite attacks to push him backwards. The leaves vanished and Ash saw that Gumshoos looked a little roughed up, its companions more so.

"We need to make this quick. Use Pluck on all of them!" Ash called. Rowlet flapped his wings to shoot straight upward before his beak glowed blue. Then he swooped downward, slamming into both of the Yungoos with force and sending them into the rock wall, where they fell. He then whipped right around and rotated while approaching Gumshoos, finally hitting the Stakeout Pokémon.

Apparently, Gumshoos didn't like that, because its fangs elongated once more and glowed, aiming to take a piece out of the owl. Ash's eyes narrowed once more, calling for a Leafage. Rowlet acted instantly, flapping his wings to both avoid the strike and create the leaves that battered Gumshoos mercilessly. It was a close call, but Rowlet was safe.

"I have to admit, Ash," Ilima said, drawing his attention to the captain, "you've done very well. Most trainers fall to Totem Gumshoos or find a way around him within the first few moves, but you and your team have held on quite a while. Makes me want to show you the true power we've worked on together."

"Bring it on," Ash said, throwing his fist up, his Z-Ring jingling a little. Rowlet hooted in agreement, himself obviously fired up for battle as well. "We'll take anything you throw at us."

"Glad to hear it," Ilima said. He was grinning even wider now, and Ash felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end from the usually expressionless young man showing so much emotion. "Then it's time, Gumshoos."

"Shuuu…" Gumshoos said, almost as if it were laughing. Ash watched as Ilima's hands crossed and then uncrossed, soon falling to his side. That's when he saw the Z-Ring, glinting with a bright white light. Ilima crossed his hands in front of himself, now, and then brought them both to his right side. Right after, his left arm flew out and upward before covering his face while his right covered his midsection. At the same time, Gumshoos mimicked the movements. Power radiated from the Z-Ring, encompassing Gumshoos' figure. It was a mesmerizing sight; one that Ash committed to memory.

"We usually never have to use this, so consider it an honor, Ash! Breakneck Blitz!" Ilima shouted. Ash grit his teeth, feeling the power that was emanating outwards.

"Rowlet, you need to dodge!" Rowlet hooted and floated upwards, only Gumshoos was on the move. Its body blazed with powerful white light as it got onto all fours and charged forward, kicking up the dust and stones in its wake. Rowlet attempted to escape, but Gumshoos was barreling down on him too fast, reaching him in seconds and powerfully impacting with Rowlet. The force sent the Grass Quill Pokémon spiraling, slamming into the stone wall, where he slid down to the grass. The blast of wind from the strike nearly blew his hat off and Ash stepped forward. Gumshoos stopped, the power fading away. "Rowlet…?"

"Kuuu…" came the muted hoot. He sounded beyond exhausted, likely ready to pass out if he hadn't already.

"Come on, Rowlet, you gotta get up!" Bonnie cried out.

"Ash's first trial can't just end like this…" Serena spoke, shaking her head. Ash gripped his fist. Was that really it? Was a single Z-Move to be the end of his first trial?  _No…_

"Rowlet, I know you can do this," Ash said. "You've been looking for a trainer that can accept you as you for a long time, and I promised we'd work together. I know how strong you can be, so let's win this together."

Rowlet said nothing, but after a second, his feathers began to ruffle and he raised himself up. He looked tired, but the glint in his black eyes told Ash that he wasn't giving up. As he flapped back into the air and cried out, it was like a statement that neither of them would go down without a fight.

"KURRRRRROH!" Rowlet cried and Ash grinned, pumping his fist.

"We're not done yet! Leafage!" Ash cried, throwing his hand out. Rowlet flapped his wings, sending a gust of wind across the battlefield, carrying the leaves with it. They pelted Gumshoos powerfully, driving the Totem backwards. "Now use Tackle! Follow it with Pluck!"

"Roh!" Rowlet shouted, making quick circles in midair before lunging forward with his talons. The attack's force slammed into Gumshoos, making it flinch a moment, enough for Rowlet to dive in with his blue beak. The attack made contact this time, forcing Gumshoos head upward.

"Use Leer!" Ilima ordered, obviously taking a more vested interest in the battle. Gumshoos snapped back, eyes alighting.

"Rowlet, shut your eyes and rely on my voice!" Ash called. Rowlet did as ordered. "Dodge to the side!"

"Super Fang!" Ilima yelled at the same time. Just as predicted, Rowlet rolled through the air, not catching sight of Gumshoos' Leer and managing to avoid the lunging fangs at the same time. Ash brought his fist down as the cries of Serena and Clemont filled the air.

"Use Pluck! Drive it up!" Ash called. Rowlet dove down, aiming right for the stone battlefield before snapping his wings out. He glided along the ground before shooting upwards with the blue beak. This time, Rowlet's combined preceding force and the actual contact managed to lift Gumshoos off the battlefield and into the air. "Now, Tackle!"

"Sand Attack!" Ilima shouted. He actually appeared to be experiencing some emotions, even if he wasn't moving his body much. Despite being in the air, Gumshoos tail slammed down, stirring up tremendous amounts of sand that obscured all of their visions. It was almost as if Sandstorm had been used, but Ash knew they wouldn't give up.

"Hit it now, make contact!" Ash told his partner. Rowlet's cry sounded out from within the sand and he seemed to spin through it all, no doubt keeping his eyes closed. "Straight ahead!"

"Get ready with Revenge!" Ilima called. Rowlet's talon then made contact, aided by Ash's expert directions. Gumshoos' giant fist glowed white and Ash saw the very small window in which to strike.

"Leafage!" he yelled, peering at Rowlet through the sand. The Grass Quill Pokémon's wings snapped out and he beat them furiously. The bright, neon green leaves shot out, cutting through the sand and clearing the entire battlefield of the swirling sand before Rowlet twisted. The winds from his wings carried him back and all the leaves battered Gumshoos mercilessly, interrupting its Revenge attack, the white glow fading. "Finish it with Tackle!"

"Rrrrrrrroh!" Rowlet screamed, aiming his talon once more for the Totem. He didn't stop for the original force, slamming right into Gumshoos' chest and driving it upward, right into the stone ceiling. The entire area shuddered as Rowlet came back down, landing on the stone dais, panting. Then Gumshoos fell, its form moving quickly as it slammed into the same stone and sent chunks of gravel flying. Dust covered the entire battlefield and Ash waited, waited to see whether Gumshoos would stand again.

"Did they win…?" Bonnie was asking, but Clemont could only seem to shake his head in the face of the unknown. Before long, the dust finally cleared.

"The Totem Gumshoos is unable to battle. Rowlet is the winner, and so the trial-goer, Ash, clears the Trial of Ilima!"

"Yeah!" Ash cried before he could stop himself. Looking at the form of the fainted Gumshoos, he couldn't help but feel pride in his Pokémon, especially Rowlet, who was flapping over to him wearily. "You were awesome, Rowlet. I knew you could do it!"

"Kuuu…" Rowlet expressed, clearly about to fall asleep from the intense battle. Ash just laughed as he saw Pikachu suddenly leap from Serena's arms and over to him.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cheered, leaping up onto his opposite shoulder. Ash quickly scratched his best buddy behind his ears.

"That's right! We won, and we did it all together! I never would have gotten through the trial without all of you," he told his best friend. Pikachu cooed at the thought as the rest finished approaching him.

"Congratulations, Ash," Serena said, walking over and kissing him lightly on the cheek before returning his bag to him.

"Thanks," he said, returning the kiss due to his euphoria. Serena blushed slightly from the overt contact, but the moment lasted no longer than a second.

"Hoo, those were some hot battles, cousin," Kukui said, rubbing the back of his head. "I haven't seen someone battle that fiercely in a long time. What do you think, Ilima?"

"Most definitely," Ilima said. Ash and the others all turned to see Ilima approaching them, a glowing case held in his hand. Behind him, Gumshoos appeared to be returning back to his cave with less vibrations than before, and the glow from the column seemed to have disappeared, though Ash had a guess that it was now in the case. "I haven't been forced to pull out Breakneck Blitz in some time, and to have Rowlet actually pull through, you've got one strong Pokémon on your hands."

"Thanks," Ash said, reaching his hand out. Ilima smiled softly once more and took it, all the emotions he had seemed to be showing during battle once more repressed. "Is Gumshoos all right?"

"Of course. He's taken worse beatings," Ilima indicated. "Besides, he's the leader of the Pokémon in this area, so I always make sure he's in top shape. More importantly, though, is this."

"Ah! Rotom sees a crystal! A crystal!" Rotom said, suddenly taking a picture of the box in Ilima's hand. The former ace student opened up the box, revealing two objects now sitting inside: a small piece of white-colored metal, and the very thing Rotom had observed, a crystal.

"This wedge is to be placed on your Trial Amulet, and the crystal," Ilima said, his gaze flitting to his Z-Ring, "is the Normalium-Z. Any Normal type move can turn into the devastating Z-Move, Breakneck Blitz, assuming you make the right movements that I displayed earlier. They're both yours."

"Thanks…" Ash said, reaching forward to grab both of the aforementioned items. Feeling the grin come to his face, Ash held them both up and then outwards to his friends. "All right! I got the Normalium-Z!"

"Pipikachu!"

"Ninja!"

"Kurrr!"

"Piki!" All of his Pokémon joined in the celebration, while Serena and Bonnie clapped happily. Still grinning, Ash reached for his Trial Amulet and quickly placed the wedge right in the first slot, the white glinting in the sunlight. He then took the Normalium-Z and, as if by instinct, placed it onto his Z-Ring. It shined brightly for a moment, and then suddenly disappeared, like it was absorbed.

"So, you've cleared Ilima's trial," Kukui said, walking around to clasp Ash's shoulder from behind. "You know what that means, don't you?"

"I do?" Ash asked with a laugh. He had to admit, he felt pretty exhausted from the first trial alone, yet at Kukui's words, the fire kept burning within him. Kukui laughed, patting his back forcefully.

"Of course! Your Grand Trial with Kahuna Hala is up next," the professor said. Ash's eyes lit up; how could he have forgotten? ! However, as he looked over to Serena, he reined that fire in before answering Kukui.

"Actually, Serena's Ceremony is up next," Ash answered the man. Ilima appeared to have excused himself from the conversation at this point, going to speak with the trial guide that had overseen their battle. "I can't battle Hala in Iki Town again until we've gone to Kala'e Bay to take part in the next Ceremony."

"Naturally, though you'll want to head through Melemele Meadow, then. Nice shortcut to the bay," Kukui agreed, staring across at Serena. Ash noticed her eyes shining with happiness, like she was glad that he would put off his next battle with Hala for her. Of course, in his mind, it really came off as a no-brainer. Hala would be waiting, but the next Ceremony wouldn't. "Well, then, why don't we all go get some food to celebrate Ash's big trial victory?"

"I like that idea!" Bonnie said, leading the way forward to the path that lead down the cavern. Ash grinned, feeling that usual euphoria settling into him as he took Serena's hand. Clemont proceeded to let a breath out, talking about how Ash continued to impress him, but all the raven-haired trainer could really focus on was the crystal now sitting in the ring that was on his wrist.

That, and the question that kept surfacing in his mind. One that he would have to confront soon. One that he still didn't have the answer for, even after the trial.

_Why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And so the first trial is complete! Yeah, it was a long one (sue me) but I think it turned out well. I know that it's completely different from what the anime seems to be doing for trials, but I really wanted to both pay homage to the games, make it my own and have something Gym Leader-esque. I hope that both portions sufficed for you with the trial portion being different and the battle being exciting. Next chapter should be even better.
> 
> I really do appreciate it! Until next time, Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	10. A Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, there is a little bit of geography I've changed around here and there to suit the story better, but it's not like the anime hasn't done it before, so just roll with it. And roll on to Chapter 10!

Chapter 10

A Girl

"Congratulations!" Glasses clinked against one another and Ash watched as Kukui tipped back to large mug and downed it all in what seemed to be seconds. The sun was setting outside the Pokémon Center, much to his surprise, and all around them, trainers were enjoying laid back dinners, if it wasn't for their rather noisy group. Over in a corner, all of the Pokémon were chowing down on their meals, with Pikipek and Rowlet having particularly large bowls (though Pikipek happened to share some with Chespin, to Rowlet's dismay).

"A battle against the Kahuna," Ilima commented, tapping his chin. "Not unusual for anyone who completes the trial, of course, but I wonder what kind of battle Hala will put up against you. He always scales for his opponents…or so it seems. When was the last time you saw him battle at top strength, Professor?"

"Oh…I have no idea," Kukui said. "I mean, he battled you at quite the level for being captain, and myself…but maybe…hmm…" The man appeared lost in a memory before he laughed it all off. "Doesn't matter. We'll all be there."

"You're certainly taking an interest in Ash's battles here, professor," Clemont commented. His eyes briefly looked over to his Pokémon snacking, Rockruff sharing a bowl with Pikachu.

"What can I say? I enjoy a heated battle! And I'm sure that with your first Z-Crystal, you'll get even more heated in battle," Kukui told them, winking at Ash a little. Finishing the dinner on his plate, Ash nodded. The man had said it so flippantly, yet something inside of Ash told him that there was a certain reverence to be held for the Z-Ring clasped on his wrist. It was likely something not to be used lightly. Knowing that, he stood.

"Just going to get some fresh air," he told everyone at the table. The others all seemed to watch him go silently before returning to their conversations. Ash continued to the outside, ignoring the looks of admiration that seemed to pass around the trainers there after the news of his victory. When he finally reached the empty battlefield, he kept walking until he was in the center of it, taking in a deep breath.

"Pikapi?" called Pikachu's voice and he turned around to see his faithful partner, along with Rockruff, standing there on the ground. The latter was wagging her tail excitedly. Ash bent down with a smile, scratching them both behind the ears.

"I'm all right. Just thinking."

"About the Z-Ring?" Ash looked up at the sound of Clemont's voice. The inventor was standing there, hands in his pockets and looking nervous. "You seemed to be pensive about it at dinner."

"Mm," was all that Ash could vocalize. He really didn't want to admit that he was unsure of how he would face Hala or answer his questions. Ash usually wasn't one to doubt himself, but the weight of the ring and crystal on his wrist made him think otherwise, for however brief a time. Clemont seemed to understand, sighing a little and walking up to him.

"You know, we've been traveling together for a while," the blond told him. Ash nodded, not quite seeing where Clemont was going with this. "Yet, no matter how much I see you battle, you always impress me. Always taking strides forward; you and Serena both, no matter how much you might doubt yourself in individual moments."

"So do you, Clemont," Ash insisted. His friend chuckled a little, wearing a smile on his face.

"I wonder…" he replied. Ash tilted his head a little, but Clemont responded by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Doesn't matter. What I'm saying is that you'll figure whatever is on your mind out. I truly believe that. Serena does, too, but you know her better than I do."

"Right," Ash said, answering both points. "Thanks, Clemont."

"Not a problem." Clemont raised his hand and yawned a little bit. Despite the evening still being young, they had exhausted quite the amount of energy today. "Well, guess I'll head back with Bonnie before she falls asleep." That was all he said before heading back to the Center's interior. Ash breathed in and raised his Z-Ring up towards the setting sun, Pikachu hopping onto his shoulder while Rockruff was near his legs.

"Pikachu, we're going to master this together…somehow," he said, watching the light glinting off the white surface. "We'll master Z-Moves and get stronger together. I promise." All Pikachu could do was agree to that and before long they were headed back inside for a good night's rest.

* * *

Serena woke the next morning to find Ash already awake and out on the battlefield. Not that it (or the fact he had already eaten breakfast) was all that surprising. In fact, it felt so normal; something she appreciated. Serena, therefore, leaned against the wall of the Pokémon Center, just watching him calmly as he and Pikachu were on the battlefield, stretching their bodies.

"Okay, Pikachu, let's try it again!" Ash said, bringing his arms into a crossed position and then to the side. Pikachu copied his trainer's movements as they repeated the same steps that Ilima had used yesterday during the battle. However, even as Ash brought his arms into the square position to close it off, nothing seemed to happen. "Ugh…nothing. What about you, Pikachu?"

"Pika…" Pikachu answered with a shrug.

"I guess I felt…something…" Ash commented to his partner before sighing. "Ilima and Hala made it look so easy, but it's gonna take some work. We'll figure it out, though, right?"

"Pi," was the earnest response. Serena smiled at their determination, accidentally letting out a light giggle. Ash appeared to hear and he turned.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself," she told him. "Having a hard time?"

"Yeah…" Ash admitted, chuckling a little as he and Pikachu made their way over to her. "I think we have the right moves, but there's just something blocking us. I'll ask Hala about it when we battle."

"Sounds like you have a plan," Serena said as the couple turned, entering back into the Center. Taking the opportunity to look around this time, she noticed that Kukui and Rockruff were nowhere in sight. Ash caught her looking.

"Professor Kukui already headed back to his lab. Something about hoping he runs into his assistant there. He left a note with Nurse Joy," Ash pointed out. That explanation was good enough for Serena and she pushed all the issues from her mind in order to focus on eating breakfast and preparing for departure.

Clemont and Bonnie soon joined them, and by the time the Center was beginning to fill up with other trial challengers, the quartet was dressed, fed and on the road. Bonnie seemed to be leading the group, happily traipsing along as they entered into a hilly area that seemed more akin to a mountainous road than anything. Checking her map, however, she could see it was the quickest way to the Melemele Meadow.

"If we keep on this path, we'll reach the meadow by tomorrow," Serena pointed out to her male companions, each of them nodding. Ash picked up the pace, but said nothing. This made Serena frown, but she brushed it off, thinking that he was still focusing on how to perfect Z-Moves. This very fact proved to be true at lunch when he and Pikachu got to practicing again…yet still with little success.

"This is getting boring…" Bonnie commented after his fifth attempt over lunch.

"Hmm…I wonder why they can't get it," Clemont noted. Serena crossed her legs as she thought about it. Ash mentioned that he felt like something was blocking them, but Serena could only guess at what it would be. The only explanation she felt would be the question that Hala had posed after his first battle, but she'd never known Ash to let stuff like that get to him. Eventually, however, Ash stopped.

"I know we can get it…" Ash said, frowning down at Pikachu, who shared his sympathies. "Maybe we just don't click for it? Like, because Pikachu isn't a Normal type?"

"Pika…?" Pikachu asked, clearly unsure, himself.

"Ah, I don't know!" Ash finally replied, eating some more food with a grin. "It's not that important. When we need it, we'll be able to use it, and that's what matters."

"Kachu!" Pikachu concurred and that seemed to be the end of that. At least, it was as far as Ash was concerned. Serena, as it were, turned out to be more concerned than her boyfriend was. She had complete faith he'd figure it out when he needed it most, but in some sense, she wondered if their "block" was a result of not having that desperation.

_It's probably nothing_ , she thought to herself, and continued to convince herself of that even through the rest of their journey into the night. It didn't stop her from lying awake that night as Bonnie snored with Dedenne on her chest. Mostly, she became worried about something she never would have thought possible: that perhaps Ash wasn't truly used to the normalcy of training again. After so many life or death battles, so much pain and hurt, that maybe a part of him resisted the use of the kind of destructive power that Z-Moves held.  _Is that it…Is he scared to use that kind of power after seeing what it could potentially do?_

It was such a silly thought, but one that occupied her mind even into the morning. Ash happened to finally notice her state of trepidation as they walked.

"You all right?" he asked, nudging her a little. Serena jumped slightly, but passed it off with a giggle, adjusting the straw hat on her head.  _Best to not say anything. I don't want to assume, and he always works his problems out._

"I'm just fine. Come on, the Meadow is up ahead!" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward. Ash nodded with a little grin and Pikachu clung to his shoulder as they ran. Small flower petals began to fill the air, along with puffs of pollen, and the closer that they got, the more Serena could see various, circling Pokémon. Some distance past the meadow was a long twisting patch of mountain, no doubt the long way to Kala'e Bay and Iki Town. Someone did seem to be running up that area, a Pokémon next to him, but Serena was far more interested in the sight they were soon to be approaching.

"Ah!" Bonnie's gasp came when she and her brother caught up. "It's so pretty!"

"Dede!" Dedenne agreed, the two having their eyes shining.

"What a beautiful sight…" Clemont observed. Serena felt Ash's hand grip hers a little tighter, squeezing it as if to say that he agreed with the notion.

There was no possible way for Serena to disagree. Stretching wide before them was a meadow consumed with yellow flowers. Cutiefly flitted back and forth across the entire area and a small dirt path wound its way through the patch of gold. Lifting her hat a little, Serena could see just how far the expansive meadow went, sloping down a hill gently to a large body of water that looked small from their distance: a clear shortcut to Kala'e Bay. It would probably take them most of the day to get there, but to walk through such a beautiful place, it was worth it.

"The guidebook wasn't lying," Serena said, turning to her boyfriend with a brilliant smile. "This really does look like the perfect place for a date."

"Rotom agrees," Rotom said, floating forward a little into the meadow. "The meadow is a beautiful place filled with many Bug types, marauding Spearow and Cutiefly that release pollen to make people sneeze."

"What is wrong with you?" Bonnie questioned, glaring at Rotom. It just smirked at her, proving that it was playing with her head.

"Well, I'm all for it," Ash admitted. "We can have an awesome picnic lunch!"

"I'd rather not be there for that," Clemont coughed out, looking slightly embarrassed to be in the middle of the couple's activities. "I think I'll just tinker on my inventions…"

Serena smiled, ready to apologize to Clemont for making him feel so awkward around them, and so suddenly. However, there was a sudden crunch of footsteps on gravel, no doubt the traveler that Serena had seen ascending earlier. Said footsteps stopped with a very audible noise and all three turned to face the newcomer as Bonnie had already run off after Rotom and thrown herself into the flowers.

"Ash?" Serena blinked at the boy before them, taking in his ripped clothes and blond hair. Next to him was a strange-looking Pokémon. All of that seemed like nothing compared to what he had just said, though. Appearances aside, the fact that the first word out of the boy's mouth was her boyfriend's name was beyond mind-boggling. Or, it was, until she looked at Ash and saw the recognition in his eyes.

"Ah, Gladion, right?" he asked, disentangling their hands and waving at the boy. Serena turned back to him, making sure to memorize his features and those of his very odd looking Pokémon. Said boy, Gladion, folded his arms with a stern expression.

"So, you remember me," he commented. His hand reached up and he flicked his hair a little, drawing attention to his green eyes. "I'm surprised, considering we've only met, what, twice?"

"I make it a point of remembering friends," Ash said, throwing his hands behind his head with a smile. Gladion stared at him while both Serena and Clemont looked between the two  _very_  different boys.

"Since when are we friends?" Gladion asked, his arms remaining folded, defensive. Ash's smile dropped a little, like he wasn't sure how to answer the boy without coming off the wrong way. It appeared to be a tense situation, so Serena affixed a smile to her face and stepped forward.

"I-I'm Serena," she said, drawing Gladion's attention onto her. "I'm Ash's girlfriend."

"And my name's Clemont," the inventor spoke. He then jerked his head back towards the flowers. "The one playing over there is my little sister, Bonnie."

"Little sister, huh? You must be close," Gladion stated. However, his arms were still folded, showing that he didn't want to come out of his defensive shell. Clemont nodded and while Serena looked into Gladion's eyes she saw a rather foreign emotion; one she couldn't quite understand. "Must be nice…but…what are  _you_  doing here, Ash?"

"Ah, I'm on my Island Pilgrimage," Ash told him, lowering his hands as Pikachu dropped to the ground. He ran over to Gladion's odd Pokémon, but the Pokémon looked away, as if spurning him. "Just completed Ilima's trial the other day."

"Sounds…fun," Gladion said, almost puzzled in the way he spoke. The puzzlement was soon replaced with a slight smirk. "So, does that mean you've gotten stronger since we last met?"

"Of course!" Ash insisted, pumping his fist a little. He walked forward, right up to Gladion. "Why don't we battle, so you can find out? Unless you're too busy this time."

Gladion looked at the hand that Ash was offering to him, observing it just a little. Then his smirk widened and, at last, he released his folded arms to grab Ash's hand. Serena's smile widened just a little. The defensiveness was gone, replaced with a willingness for a begrudging friendship. At least, that was how she saw it. "I've got a bit of time. I came here on my search, but I never thought I would find you. Now we can have that battle."

"Yeah. Three-on-three sound good?" Ash asked. Gladion nodded, causing the two to shake on it. The two males turned to look into the meadow and to a spot where there appeared to be a dirt patch that the flowers didn't touch. Gladion jerked his head in that direction, indicating that was where they should head. "Come on, Pikachu."

"Pi," Pikachu responded, backing up from Gladion's Pokémon and leaping back on to Ash's shoulder.

"I'll referee," Clemont told them. The two boys nodded and began walking into the meadow proper, right for the patch of dirt. Serena and Clemont both trailed after them. "Bonnie! Ash is going to have a battle!"

"Ooh! A battle! Let's watch, Rotom," Bonnie said, flipping back up without a problem before grabbing Rotom from the air. The Pokédex squirmed, but was unable to break free from her grip as she reached Serena. "Who's the guy?"

"Apparently a friend of Ash's," Serena answered the little girl. "His name's Gladion. I guess Ash must have met him before."

"He has a weird Pokémon," Bonnie commented. Rotom finally used its hand to slap Bonnie's arm, breaking free to go and scan it. It hovered there for quite a bit longer than usual before giving a response.

"Error! Error! Rotom cannot identify!" Rotom said, looking like its circuits were about to fry. Bonnie rolled her eyes and pulled it back from the battlefield while Clemont walked forward.

"Okay, this will be a three-on-three battle between Ash and Gladion. Winner is decided based on who takes the most wins," Clemont informed them both. The two eager combatants nodded their heads, almost grinning at each other (Ash more than Gladion). This was clearly a battle both had looked forward to, despite what seemed to be a rather brief introduction. "Begin!"

"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash called, Pikachu jumping onto the battlefield.

"Null, it's your turn," Gladion called. Serena looked to the Pokémon at his side as it clopped onto the field, its claws ripping up the flowers around it. In fact, Serena noticed that the flowers behind it were all torn up, like it destroyed everything it touched.  _Null…a Pokémon that can't be identified even by Rotom. I wonder what it is…_  "I've been waiting for this battle, Ash. Ever since I saw you in action in Hau'oli City. You better give me a good one, or this trip up here will have been wasted."

"Don't worry. Me and my Pokémon will be giving it our all," Ash said, gripping his fist. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu called out, rearing back a second on his legs before blazing forward. The white light surrounded his body and he beat up the dirt in his path to aim for Null. In just a few moments, Pikachu slammed into the beast's body. It moved slightly back on the dirt, but looked basically undamaged.

"If that won't work, use Iron Tail!" Ash called out. Serena looked away from him, paying attention to Gladion. The boy's arms weren't folded, which showed he wasn't guarded against Ash, but he certainly wasn't betraying his emotions in battle the way that Ash did. Pikachu sprang back before using his momentum to get into the air, spinning around. His tail glowed white and he brought it crashing straight down onto the helmeted head of Null.

"Huu!" it screamed out, the sound like an echo, as it recoiled from the attack.

" _That_  hurt it," Bonnie said. Serena had to agree, especially when she saw Gladion's eyes widen a little. He certainly hadn't expected so much force from Pikachu. His foot shifted, and Serena could feel his entire attitude about the battle change.

"Crush Claw," Gladion said sternly. Null nodded and ran at Pikachu, its claw glowing a blood red. For just a moment, Serena felt a thrill of danger for Pikachu, even with Ash calling for him to dodge. Pikachu wasn't quick enough, and the attack ripped across him, sending him tumbling across the dirt.

"Pi…ka…" Pikachu breathed out, already looking roughed up from the single attack.

"You all right?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded, pulling himself back onto all fours with a triumphant cry. "Great, now use Thunderbolt!"

"Pi…ka…chuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu roared, his electric sacs pulsing with electricity before sending it straight out at Null. The attack hit dead on, causing it to almost drop to one knee as the shock pulsed around it. For all the strange destructive power that this Pokémon had, Pikachu was doing an ample job of keeping up with it.

"Let's lower its defenses to make this quicker. Metal Sound!" Gladion raised his hand to his face, cracking his knuckles as he did so. Null hunkered down, and its mask began to quiver, sending out soundwaves that rippled the flowers in the area. Pikachu ceased his attack, pulling his ears down to escape the noise.

"Don't worry about the sound, Pikachu," Ash said, keeping calm. Pikachu turned, nodding. "Use Quick Attack and stay on the move around the field."

"That won't help. Iron Head," Gladion said, grinning a little. Serena shook her head. Not ten minutes ago, Gladion had seemed so aloof, uncaring about anything, and defensive. Yet within minutes of battling Ash, he had suddenly become invested in the battle, especially with Pikachu proving to be more than he expected.  _Just like Alain…how does Ash seem to draw these people in?_

She had little time to contemplate it as Pikachu was using Quick Attack to jump around the battlefield. Gladion's eyes were flitting back and forth, as if trying to track Pikachu's movements. Null was doing the same, looking for any pattern. They must have found it, because Null finally pounced at the snap of Gladion's fingers. Its entire helmet shined with silver and it rammed forward, slamming into Pikachu.

"Picha!" Pikachu cried out in pain, being thrown out of the ring and into the flowers. Serena gasped, hoping that Pikachu was okay. Her gaze traveled from the grinning Gladion to Ash…who didn't look worried at all.

"Electro Ball!"

"Pika pika pika pika chu pi!" Pikachu cried and the crackling Electro Ball cut through the flowers, obliterating a line of them as it slammed into Null's body.

"What?" Gladion asked, almost surprised. Null was shaking its head as well, looking just a little tired.

"Pikachu and I trust each other, so I know when he's doing okay," Ash told Gladion. "And I know we can beat the two of you. Isn't that right, buddy?"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said, coming through the scorched row of flowers and back to the dirt. Serena couldn't help but smile; that indelible bond between Ash and all of his Pokémon was manifesting itself again. Gladion, however, looked less pleased, almost gritting his teeth. It was almost like the boy didn't know how to have any fun.

"Null, use Rage!"

"Hoooo!" Null echoed out, body flaring to life with a red aura as it charged for Pikachu once again.

"Quick Attack, get around its back!" Ash commanded simply. Pikachu slid to the side, bursting with white light as he bounded around the battlefield once more. Then he raced forward, slamming Null in the side. Compared to the first hit from Quick Attack, this one was much more effective, slamming Null to the side. Gladion was continually gritting his teeth. Pikachu now dashed to the other side, just out of Null's view, and tackled into his opposite side, driving him back into the ring. To Serena's eyes, it seemed that Pikachu had become a veritable blur, blitzing around the area to strike Null, whose red aura appeared to be pulsing angrily.

"Strike now!" Gladion said. "Give it your all! We have to win this to grow stronger!"

_Grow stronger?_  Serena turned, only this time looking to Clemont, whose eyes were wide. They'd both heard those kinds of words before, but from someone else. Someone who nearly drowned in his path. She had to wonder if Gladion was on that same path.

Null struck, its red aura reaching its zenith as it charged for Pikachu and practically impaled him on its mask, tossing him across the battlefield. Part of the dirt split, almost like the ground was cracking. Pikachu tumbled across from the force of the built-up attack, struggling once more to his feet. Null hadn't ceased its charge, though.

"Use Iron Tail, on the ground!" Ash called, grinning. He looked like he was having fun, a stark contrast to Gladion. Pikachu barely stood, hardening his tail and slamming it onto the ground. Clods of dirt flew up in a dust cloud and Null charged straight into it. Serena almost expected to hear the sounds of a brutalized Pikachu, but no such sounds came. She quickly saw why, as Pikachu emerged from the dust cloud, looking exhausted. "Let's finish this with Thunderbolt!"

"Crush Claw!" Null whipped around, claw glowing its blood red color again as it aimed for Pikachu. The Electric mouse summoned all the electricity he could and sent it in a raging arc out toward Null, whose procession didn't stop until he brought the Crush Claw down on Pikachu. The Thunderbolt exploded, covering the two opponents in dust. Serena stepped forward, as did Clemont. The two trainers remained where they were as the dust cleared to show that Null had backed off. It looked woozy on its feet, just as Pikachu did. Then it nodded in some form of acknowledgement and began to fall…as did Pikachu. Both hit the ground with a loud slam.

"Pikachu!"

"Null!" Gladion cried, rushing to his Pokémon's aid. Whatever anger or frustration he'd felt in the battle was now all but gone, replaced with concern for his partner. Both trainers reached their Pokémon at the same time and Serena saw Clemont digging into his bag for some potions. Ash quickly cradled Pikachu, who stirred in his arms while Gladion seemed to push Null up swiftly. "You all right?"

"Huu…" Null sounded, almost like it was disappointed. Gladion breathed in relief, and then looked up at Ash. He, himself, was taking the potion from Clemont and spraying it on Pikachu's wounds.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu said a little weakly. Ash smiled and hugged him close.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said. "We had a fun battle, huh?"

"Chu."

"Fun?" Gladion asked suddenly, standing as Null managed to get to its feet. Serena looked back at him and his perplexed expression. "How did you have fun? We tied that one and that can only mean you weren't giving it your all."

"Nah," Ash said, chuckling a little as Pikachu clambered on his shoulders, "just because we tied doesn't mean we didn't grow. Don't you feel a little closer to Null?"

"Huh?" Gladion took a step back, almost like he was surprised. He looked over to his partner, who appeared to nod. Then he smiled, even if it came off more like a smirk. "I guess so, though I don't like tying. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth."

"Then let's settle the score, huh?" Ash said, picking out another pokeball from his pocket. Gladion nodded, and moved his hand back to his own set of pokeballs, resting on his side pouch, when a ringing suddenly emanated from said pouch. The boy scowled, digging in and pulling out a small pager-device, holding it to his ear while a finger indicated that they should wait.

" _What_?" he said testily. The others watched the boy as he listened to the person on the other end of the phone. "You've got to be kidding me. Now? Why Akala?"

"Wonder what's going on," Bonnie said, kicking at one of the flowers idly. Gladion issued a large sigh.

"Fine, tell the boss I'll be on the next ferry to Akala, but you remind him that I don't like it. I was on my own time here in Melemele!" With those harsh tones, Gladion pressed a button on the phone-like device and buried it once more in his pouch, turning with a scowl to Ash. He quickly ran his hand through his hair. They all just stared at him curiously. "Sorry, Ash, but it looks like the remainder of our battle will have to be postponed. I got called in to work."

"Oh…" Ash commented, looking just a little disappointed. He quickly sloughed it off after looking at Pikachu. "Well, that works for me, but we'll be winning the next time."

"We'll see about that," Gladion assured him, holding his hand out. Ash grinned and took it. "Then we'll promise to battle on Akala. How's that sound, friend?" The final word almost sounded foreign on the blond's tongue.

"Sounds like a plan!" Pikachu agreed with his trainer, pumping a fist in Null's direction. It was hard to tell the other Pokémon's expression, but it almost looked like it was regarding Pikachu with immense respect. The two trainers separated their hands and Gladion began walking backwards, towards the exit from the meadow, waving at them with a smirk before beginning to run. Serena and the others turned to watch him and Null go, and before long, he had disappeared the exact way he came.

"Rotom found that battle most interesting! That Pokémon was unknown to Rotom!" Rotom said excitedly, practically bouncing up and down. "Rotom will record data!"

"Recording data sounds good and all, but can we find a place to stop and have that picnic?" Ash said. Serena looked towards him with amusement and a smile. Both he and Pikachu were clutching at their stomachs, clearly hungry from the battle they'd just fought, already putting the abrupt encounter behind them. Clemont let off a soft chuckle.

"That doesn't sound like a bad plan," the inventor assured them all before pointing to a spot somewhat down the hill that looked like a clearing of grass amidst the flowers; a perfect place for a picnic. Ash threw his fist into the air, clearly overjoyed at being able to eat lunch, and he took the lead in running for the spot, with Bonnie just behind him. Serena adjusted her hat and set off right after them, Clemont puffing along behind her. The dash through the flowers didn't take long, nor did setting up everything for lunch.

"All right, everyone, come on out!" Ash called, sending all of his Pokémon out of their pokeballs once they'd set things up. Serena and Clemont followed suit, with Grubbin diving right for Clemont as always; the inventor was growing quite adept at dodging him. "So, what's for lunch?"

"Sandwiches," Serena said, pulling out a box of delicious looking sandwiches for her and Ash to share. Clemont pulled out a similar set, already half-eaten through. The two culprits were easily seen in the flat expanse of flowers, Rowlet and Chespin struggling with one between them. Neither Pancham or Pikipek seemed amused, moving to berate the two.

"Cut it out, Rowlet," Ash said with a sigh, shaking his head. Rowlet, unlike Chespin, had the decency to look ashamed and let go of the sandwich. Bonnie appeared to take pity on the owl, taking a sandwich from Clemont's tray and walking over to Rowlet.

"Here you go. Now, everyone needs to play nice," she said sweetly. Serena smiled, placing her bag down as she walked over to Ash with the sandwiches and took his hand. She knew he was more focused on the food she was holding, but appreciated that he was returning the affection all the same until they were seated neatly upon the blanket that he had laid across the grass. Clemont and Bonnie, meanwhile, took a seat at a table near the Pokémon.

"This is nice. It's been a while since we could just have something kind of like a date," Serena admitted. Ash had already taken two sandwiches, stuffing them in his mouth, chewing at a rapid pace and swallowing them.

"Yeah, we've been real busy since we got to Alola," he laughed out. Feeling content from the two sandwiches, Ash breathed outward, laying flat on the blanket. He dragged Serena down with him and she found herself up against his side, surrounded by his body heat. On instinct, she snuggled into him a bit, not even embarrassed that their friends were but a few feet away. "Makes things feel normal."

"Yeah…we need normal, don't we?" Serena said. Her worry from this morning briefly resurfaced from those words, but she forced them from her mind at the feeling of Ash's rhythmic breathing in tune with her heartbeat. It felt peaceful, content, and like everything was right with the world.

For about a minute, until a loud and girlish scream pierced the air.

Serena and Ash shot upwards on instinct, their reflexes honed from all the intense battles they had fought in. The two of them were on their feet before Clemont and Bonnie could even leave their chairs. Both of their gazes were drawn in the same direction, trying to locate the source of the sudden scream. Neither of them looked for long, seeing a girl in a white dress and hat fleeing from the cover of a copse of trees that rimmed the area with a large drum bag flopping about at her side as streams of Spearow pelted after her…and something else unfamiliar.

"Braixen!" Serena called, dashing off of the blanket and for the girl. Braixen was already moving at her words, Greninja right alongside her. Both of their Pokémon quickly caught up to Ash and Serena while the two Lumiose siblings remained behind them. Flowers were kicked up as they ran, only Greninja not disturbing the plants as they drew closer to the girl. One of the Spearow broke off and aimed for the…well, it looked like a Pokémon, that was preceding the girl. Said girl appeared to notice this.

"No! Nebby!" she cried. Despite her footwear slipping off, she dove for the purple Pokémon, shielding it with her body as the Spearow all dove at her. "You won't hurt him!"

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

"Braixen, Flamethrower!" Serena yelled. Both Greninja and Braixen struck at the exact moment, the fire joining with the watery shuriken. Surprisingly, they didn't put each other out and instead steamed as they slammed into the Spearow like a Scald attack. The Spearow turned, as if wanting to fight them, but quickly noticed their Pokémon's fierce stance. Thinking better of it, one of the Spearow called out and they all took to the air, disappearing into the trees once again. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" the girl said, not looking up from where she was huddling over the Pokémon. Serena approached her carefully, picking up the girl's shoes as she reached her and held a hand out.

"It's okay, we won't hurt you," Serena assured her. It was slow, tentative, but the girl finally raised her head, her green eyes wide and fearful. Ash came closer, kneeling down alongside Serena. The girl's eyes moved between them, still wide, but the fear diminishing, replaced with…recognition. "We chased off the Spearow. You're all right now."

"Oh…thank you," the girl said before looking down at what her body was covering. "N-Nebby, are you okay?"

"Pew!" came a sound from under the girl. Ash fell backward at the sound, his butt hitting the flowers. Serena could only watch, staring, as the girl sat back up to reveal the Pokémon beneath her. It looked like a purple and blue puff cloud, two little clouds extending from its happily smiling face. For such a little thing that had just been attacked, it looked beyond cheerful. "Pew!"

"Nebby, don't just act like nothing happened!" the girl scolded it, or rather, Nebby. She turned her head, bowing low, allowing her hat to touch the flowers on the ground. "Thank you for saving me and Nebby, Ash and Serena."

"Um, what?" Serena squeaked out. How had this girl known their names? Ash was blinking, too, though he seemed to be on the verge of recognizing the girl for whatever reason. Serena almost thought that maybe this was  _another_ friend from Ash's past that she hadn't known about, but the girl debunked the theory.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, straightening and placing a hand to her lips in apology. "Is that too familiar? It's just, I saw your names on the television and I thought…I apologize for presuming too much."

"No, it's okay," Serena said, hoping to console the girl who looked so upset by her presumptions.

"That's how you knew my name!" Ash said, clapping his fist on his palm. Serena looked at him. "I ran into her the same night that I ran into Tapu Koko, and she knew me. Now I know why! You saw the Honor of Kalos Ceremony on the TV, right? I didn't even know they aired that here."

"Y-yes, it was a very big event," the girl answered, smiling. She looked very pretty, her blond locks in braids down the sides of her face while the rest were in flowing tresses behind her, her smiling only serving to highlight her features. "I saw it while I was…protecting Nebby, once."

"So, his name is Nebby?" Serena asked. She reached out to poke the little guy, her finger pressing into its surface like it was a cloud. It smiled at her.

"Pew!"

"Well, technically it's called Cosmog…I think," the girl laughed out. She seemed to relax a little now, sitting on her knees as she wiped her brow. "But I think Nebby is much cuter."

"Pew pew pew!" Nebby responded cheerfully. The little one didn't seem to have any other attitude.

"I didn't think you'd actually come to Alola, though." Confusion once more settled onto Serena's brow at the girl's words. Said girl blinked and once more bowed in apology, realizing she'd clearly left out some important information in their discussion. "I'm sorry, I must sound so cryptic, talking about Nebby and knowing your names, I just…I'm overwhelmed."

"Well, why don't you start from the beginning?" Ash offered from his place on the ground. Tramping footsteps were heard behind them, and the girl, along with the two of them, looked up to see that Clemont, Bonnie and the group of Pokémon were all approaching, having clearly packed up from their spot for lunch.

"What a cute Pokémon!" Bonnie exclaimed immediately upon seeing Nebby. She dove in between them, reaching for Nebby, who dodged out of the way and into the new girl's arms.

"Sorry…Nebby usually doesn't like being touched by anyone but me…or at all. Not that he stays in the bag like he should," she apologized once more, though adding a tone of sternness at the end. Like before, recognition passed through her eyes.

"Nebby is such a cute name!" Bonnie said, reeling herself back in and sitting cross-legged upon the flowers. "He reminds me of…Squishy…"

"Bonnie," Clemont said, though it wasn't scolding. Rather, he sounded sympathetic. Bonnie shook her head though, indicating that she was fine, if obviously thinking about where Squishy, who had disappeared so many months ago, could be these days. "Anyway, who's this?"

"Don't know," Serena answered. "I think she was about to tell us before you showed up."

"Interesting," Rotom spoke out, cutting across Serena as it went to take pictures of Nebby. "Rotom does not have data on this one either! Why? ! Why has Rotom been incomplete twice in one day? ! Rotom has failed!"

"Calm down, Rotom!" Ash insisted, grabbing the Ghost type and pulling it down to his lap. The Pokédex struggled a bit, but eventually calmed down as the attention from all of them (Pokémon included) looked to the girl. She flushed a little bit at being put on the spot.

"Um, all right…" she began, gripping tightly to Nebby. "Well, my…my name is Lillie, and this is Nebby."

"You're Professor Kukui's assistant?" Clemont asked. Serena folded her hands; of course, the name had sounded familiar, and now the face did too. She had met this girl, Lillie, in the store at Hau'oli City before she'd run away. Pleased with recognizing her, Serena smiled.

"Oh, you're familiar with Professor Kukui?" she said, clapping her hands together in relief. "That makes this so much easier! I mean, not that I thought any of you were bad people. To receive an award like the Honor of Kalos, you have to be kind, right? But this just makes me feel even better."

"Lillie, you're rambling," Ash said, laughing a bit. Lillie raised her hand to her mouth again, once more embarrassed. Serena raised an eyebrow, wondering if this girl had had much social experiences, if any at all. Especially once she started apologizing once more.

"My apologies, I just…I feel so relieved!" the blonde said, wiping some tears from her eyes. "I remember seeing you on the television and feeling like you were all people that could be counted on."

"That's nice," Ash said, putting his hands on the ground while Pikachu jumped on top of his head, pulling on his hat a little. "But, why?"

"Oh, well…" Lillie looked a little distressed, like she wasn't sure how to say what she wanted, or if she really should. At Ash's question, she finally stood, and Serena took that as the prompting to stand with her, some of them coming to their feet. Nebby remained clasped in her arms as she turned to look out towards the bay in the distance. "I…sort of stole Nebby."

"You what? !" all of them asked at the same time, even some of their Pokémon joining in. Only Rotom didn't seem to care.

"I mean, it's not like it was a bad thing, I think!" Lillie said, a slight drop of sweat running down her cheek. "They were being really mean to him, and I just couldn't bear it, so I took him and I've been running ever since. At the time, I saw you on the TV and felt like you could help me, ha ha…I must have seemed rather delusional then."

Serena folded her arms, but smiled a little. Lillie was a little scant on the details, but from her words alone, Serena could tell she was a good person; not some random Pokémon thief like Team Rocket. Obviously, she had acted impulsively in taking Nebby away from the bad people, however. "Lillie, do you have any Pokémon to protect you, then?"

"Oh…no," Lillie answered. "It was very spur of the moment. I'm not a trainer, after all, but I wanted to help. Some of the details from back then are a little hazy so I don't remember much from the moment, but no…just Professor Kukui helping me out."

"Hmm…" Ash hummed out, looking at Lillie with discerning eyes. It was no surprise, really, to Serena at least. Ever since six months ago, ever since Michael, everyone's words had to be taken with a grain of salt. Lillie seemed like a trustworthy girl at first glance, and Serena wanted to trust that instinct, but her actions were almost suspect. "That was pretty dangerous of you. Sure, not everyone has a Pokémon to protect them, but doing something like that…"

"I know!" Lillie said, looking beyond mortified. Serena gave a start; she looked like such a small child in that moment, being scolded by a father. "I just…I really wanted to get him away from the bad people, so I wasn't thinking…"

"So, you don't remember who these bad people are?" Serena asked suddenly, hoping to dig a little into the truth. There was something about the way she had said "bad people" that indicated it was all a little more personal than she was letting on, though she also could have been reading much more into what were likely petty thieves. Lillie tensed up, shifting her gaze over to Serena, almost pleading in nature.

"I…I remember what they looked like and where they were six months ago or so, though not exactly  _who_  they were…but…I just want to keep Nebby far away from them. That's why I keep him in the bag…though he never stays put. It was that kind of stuff in the forest that led to the Spearow attacking us," Lillie said, once more adopting a tone of consternation. Nebby smiled up at her.

"Pew!" he cried happily before hopping out of Lillie's arms and heading inside her large round bag. Serena watched it a moment longer before exhaling with relief, realizing they weren't in a state of alert or needing to fight. Then she smiled. Nebby seemed truly happy to be by Lillie's side, proving that the act of "thievery" was just as she said it was. As for the "bad people" it was obvious that Lillie had gone to great lengths to protect the little one now inside her bag and to keep herself anonymous from whoever the likely thieves were. That gave Serena some comfort, knowing they wouldn't have to deal with that; the girl was smarter than she let on, traipsing about without a Pokémon.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to unburden my problems onto you," Lillie said, sighing a little and hanging her head. Serena shook her own head, stepping forward. She could feel the frustration that Lillie was feeling, and so, she reached her hands out and took the blonde's. Lillie's head snapped up, looking at her in surprise.

"It's okay," she said. "It must have taken a lot of bravery to do what you did, and to hide like you have."

"Well, Professor Kukui has helped me a lot. Him and Kahuna Hala," Lillie admitted, laughing a little. "Thanks to them, I know the bad guys have no idea where I am, or Nebby. I'm pretty sure I can keep it that way. I don't think they even know who took him, and it  _has_  been over six months since then and they've probably forgotten about it or just don't care, so…"

"Works for me," Ash admitted with a laugh, springing to his feet. Lillie still wore a shocked expression at his statement, causing Serena and Bonnie to stifle giggles.

"You…you mean it?" Lillie asked.

"Of course! We run into people with problems all the time!" Ash explained, throwing his hands behind his head. "You seem like a really nice girl, too, Lillie, helping out Nebby like that. Listening to whatever's troubling you is no problem at all. Helps us to keep your secret!"

"Th-thank you!" Lillie said, tears welling in her eyes as she bowed low. Serena smiled, looking at the genuine drops falling from her eyes. Having now taken her hands, and despite letting go of them, Serena realized that there wasn't a single dishonest bone in the girl's body. Perhaps a frightened and scared one, but she was earnest and honest through and through. Like Bonnie, when she had taken in Squishy and saved him from Team Flare, Lillie just wanted to protect the precious little one that was close to her.

Serena looked to the others, each of them watching the girl shedding such pure tears. Eventually, though, she stepped forward, taking her hands once again to calm her down. Lillie looked up at Serena, blinking the tears from her eyelashes. "You okay, then?"

"Yes, thank you," Lillie said, bringing a light smile to her face. "I just feel so honored to meet all of you. The professor mentioned you, too, but…"

"If you're honored to meet us, then we're just glad to meet you," Clemont said. "I'm Clemont."

"Yes, I know," Lillie said with a little laugh. "And you must be Bonnie."

"That's right!" Bonnie chirped out happily. Behind them all, their Pokémon gave a loud cheer, making their own introductions to the girl. Serena let go of her hands and stepped away, folding them behind her back.

"It's wonderful to meet all of you!" Lillie said, brightly smiling. Her bag suddenly shook, as if Nebby was saying the exact same sentiments. "Though…why are you all here? N-not to sound rude, but like I said earlier, I didn't expect you all to come to Alola when you're such heroes in the Kalos region."

"Oh, well, I'm taking part in the Island Trials," Ash said, pointing to himself. Pikachu nodded his head in agreement. "Clemont's here to install something for the Pokémon League, and Serena is aiming to become the Ali'i ka Leilani by participating in the Leilani Ceremonies."

"We're actually heading there right now, to one in Kala'e Bay," Serena told her. Lillie blinked at her a moment, and then her eyes lit up with great enthusiasm, sparkling so brightly that Serena almost thought they were made of glitter. She stepped forward and this time initiated the hand holding.

"The Leilani Ceremony? I've always wanted to see one!" Lillie exclaimed, her voice going up an octave. "I never had the chance to as a child. You must be an extraordinary trainer to be aiming for the Ali'i ka Leilani!"

"Er…I guess," Serena laughed out modestly. She had never really thought about it, only focusing on training with her Pokémon rather than how good she was. Seeing Lillie so enthused about the prospect, though, the honey blonde knew there was only one real course of action to take, regardless of its suddenness. "Would you want to come and see one? I'm sure we'd be happy to have you along, and then we could protect you from those 'bad guys'."

Lillie's face flushed with excitement, and before she could stop herself, it seemed, she was jumping up and down, practically squealing. "I'd love to! I'm sure Nebby would love to see you perform, too."

"Pew!" Nebby's voice called out from the bag.

"Great! That's like two Pidgey with one stone," Ash said. "Welcome aboard, Lillie."

"Thank you!" Lillie said, the happiness practically seeping out of her pores. She stopped her jumping and Serena finally realized that the girl's shoes were sitting amongst the flowers where she'd dropped them during the conversation; they were  _not_  the kind of shoes made for traveling. She bent down to pick them up and hand them over to her. The blonde gratefully slipped them on, still wearing the smile of jubilation. It struck a chord in Serena.  _It's like another step to bring back those smiles._

"Yay! We have a new member to the little family!" Bonnie cheered. This prompted a confused look from Lillie, who titled her head and placed a finger on her chin.

"Family?"

"Of course! Clemont's like the uncle, and Ash and Serena are the mom and dad!" Ash suddenly coughed at Bonnie's statement, and Serena felt a blush creep up her neck. They certainly weren't ready to be parents! "You can be like the big sister, for however long you want to be with us."

"A big sister…?" Lillie asked, still confused. She seemed to quickly be warming up to the idea, though, as her eyes shined again. "Going on an adventure…it sounds so fun…and free…I just wanted to explore Melemele before Nebby caused problems in the forest there, but now…"

"Now you get to adventure with some friends," Ash said, changing the subject away from the topic of family all too mercifully and swiftly. Lillie nodded at his assertion. "All right, then. Welcome to the group, Lillie, and to our adventure!"

Placing his hand in, Serena quickly joined her own. They were soon mobbed by Clemont, Bonnie, Rotom and all of their Pokémon, leaving only Lillie. The girl watched them a moment before smiling brightly, like she'd never been offered such true kindness before. Then she slapped her hand into the center happily.

"Yes! I'm glad to be on this adventure to Kala'e Bay!"

"All for one and one for all!" Bonnie cried and they raised their hands to the air. With their pact complete, and their feet setting off again for Kala'e Bay (once they'd packed up their abandoned lunch, of course), Serena looked towards the happily humming Lillie, their new companion, and smiled.

_Yes, this is what being a Kalos Queen, keeping that promise, feels like._  And so, she wrapped her hands around Lillie's arm and dragged her forward towards the sea where her next Ceremony would take place; the Ceremony she now promised she would win not only for herself, but for her Pokémon, her family, and for the girl whose face had lit up at the mere mention of seeing one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Lillie has joined the group! As anyone who knows me can attest, I adored Lillie in the Sun and Moon games, and thus it's that character which I'm replicating here, albeit differently. Now, quite a lot happened in this chapter, and I need to address all of it. 1) Ash's problem with Z-Moves. Is it Serena's theory that he's afraid of using moves that are too powerful? Or is it something else? This'll be explained in due time, but right now he's certainly having problems. 2) Ash vs. Gladion. Ah, the start of a sweet, sweet rivalry. Hope you enjoyed that battle because it was definitely there for a point. And also, the tie…well, for those who know the games, just realize what Null is.
> 
> And 3) Lillie. This was pretty much an exposition dump scene, which are always hard to get just right, especially with the kind of information I gave with her. Why are they not going after the "bad guys"? Why is Lillie not telling them? Why are they not pressing her? All probably questions that are entering your mind, and one that I've answered (I think) subtly. The simple answer: normalcy. I'll leave you to ponder that. Well, that and Lillie herself. In due time, it should be understood, but our heroes have their work cut out for them. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed and it all flowed correctly, because it was tough to work out.
> 
> I really appreciate the words and thoughts for this story. So, until the next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	11. A Dancer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose Lillie is ultimately really liked, ha ha. Well, hopefully you all continue to like her even into this chapter. Time for Chapter 11!

Chapter 11

A Dancer

"So, Lillie, tell us about yourself," Ash said to the girl as their group of six made their way through the remainder of the meadow. They had already been making good progress for the day, hindered only by the introductions of their Pokémon (which inevitably led to a hyperactive Chespin scaring Nebby and being reined in by Pikipek). So, really, it came as a surprise that Ash had finally chosen to ask this now, as they completed the final descent to the bay, the sun lowering ever so slowly on the horizon.

"Not too much to tell," Lillie answered, twiddling her fingers together. "I guess…I've been living with Professor Kukui in the Hau'oli Outskirts for the last six months. The people there are all really nice and have taken care of me."

"Hmm," Ash said, nodding a bit. Pikachu almost looked at him in concern for being so lost in thought. "Does that mean you know Hau?"

"H-Hau?" Lillie stammered in surprise. Serena turned to see the faintest of blushes settle into her cheeks. "Yes, I know Hau. He's a very energetic and nice person. We would spend time together, occasionally."

"Do you  _like_  him then?" Bonnie asked innocently. Serena's eyes slid backwards at the same time as her boyfriend's, the both of them no doubt suspecting Bonnie's intentions. Sure enough, her own eyes were glittering mischievously while Clemont sighed.

"I think Hau is very fun to hang around," Lillie answered, clutching her bag strap tighter. "He'd sometimes help me when Professor Kukui would get carried away with research. There was one time the Professor allowed himself to be hit by one of Hala's Tauros and he had to be taken to the Pokémon Center. Hau helped me out then and we went for malasadas afterwards. I never knew someone could eat so much!"

"Then you've never seen Ash eat," Serena laughed out. Ash turned and glared at her a little, though she swatted his arm to indicate it was all in good fun. "He can put food away like no one else. And Pikachu and Rowlet are the same."

"Good food leads to good sleep which leads to good training," Ash instructed Lillie, and Pikachu nodded, sharing agreement with his trainer.

"Sadly, I think Chespin has them all beat in that regard," Clemont said, shaking his head. "But at least we all eat well, and it's always nice to have friends that know other friends."

"Or maybe  _more_  than friends," Bonnie teased with a grin. Serena frowned at the girl, though she hardly seemed deterred by it. Part of that may have been because of the confused Rotom muttering "human interactions are foreign to Rotom". Lillie, on the other hand, seemed to have ignored Bonnie's little taunts entirely, her legs carrying her ahead of the group to a small outcropping before a dirt and wood path that sloped down. Serena looked back towards the girl, her white dress and hat swaying in the breeze and she made to join her on the outcropping.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Serena said. Next to her, Lillie nodded. Nebby popped his head out of the bag to look at the sight stretched before them. A bright and sparkling sea, contained by an arching beach, lay below the outcropping at the foot of the wooden steps. That beach also seemed to stretch in multiple directions, one back on the path to Iki Town and the other to the mountain Gladion had ascended earlier. Sitting on the piece of ocean that there was, seemed to be the Ceremony Hall, looking far more advanced than the one in Pua Town, glowing with the soon to be setting sun.

"We're almost there!" Ash announced and Serena looked to see that he had already put a foot on the stairs downward. "Just down these steps."

"Coming," Serena called to him. Lillie continued to stare at the bay with shining eyes, and the honey-blonde was forced to tug at her arm to divert her attention.

"Oh, sorry," Lillie said, tucking a strand of hair back under her hat. "It's just so mesmerizing. I can't believe I'll actually get to see you take part in the Ceremony tomorrow."

"You're certainly excited about this," Serena laughed out, following after Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie, who had begun their slow progression (well, for Clemont) down the stairs. Lillie clapped her hands together, prompting an energetic smile from Nebby.

"I've always wanted to see one, but was always too busy or told not to. 'Ladies don't prance around on a stage'!" she said, almost like she was scolding herself. A small downcast expression was on her face, but she soon replaced it with a scowl. "That makes this almost like a dream come true…and…actually, do you think you'd mind showing me your performance early?"

"You want to see?" Serena asked. Lillie nodded fervently, her blonde braids flying back and forth. She took a step forward, nearly tripping on the first step until Serena grabbed her elbow and decided to help her down. "Well, I guess we can always use a little more practice, so why not? When we reach the beach, I'll give you and the others a private performance."

"Yes!" Lillie cheered, throwing her fist into the air a little. She quickly retracted it, looking mortified at her action, and just a little sheepish. Serena just laughed and continued to help her down the stairs. Those shoes were clearly  _not_ conducive to covering all different kinds of terrains. It was a wonder this girl had managed to explore parts of Melemele on her own.

After a few minutes of traversing down the steep set of steps, careful to not fall, the group of six, with Rotom floating above, arrived down at the beach. Serena stretched her arms wide, sucking in the sea breeze as she noticed people traipsing calmly along the coastline. Some of them were couples, hand in hand, while there were also kids playing with various little Pokémon from the sea. Further down the coast, before the entrance to the twisting mountain, were settlements, from a Pokémon Center to homes to even an inn where some could stay for the night. All of it blended seamlessly into the crystalline sea and the Ceremony Hall located there. If Serena looked closer, she knew she could see what looked to be water slides or something similar; no doubt they were for the Course portion.

"Look at all the cute Pokémon!" Bonnie cheered, running forward with her arms waving wildly.

"Denenene!" Dedenne also chattered out on top of her. The two flung themselves towards the water, not even caring for Clemont's concerned cry as they hit it, drenching their clothes and fur. Bonnie laughed happily as a Chinchou seemed to swim up to her.

"A Chinchou!" she exclaimed, reaching out to poke the Pokémon. Rotom came forward, a little smirk on its screen.

"Careful, Bonnie, or Chinchou will electrocute you. It doesn't like clingy humans," Rotom taunted the girl, earning a tongue sticking out for its troubles, along with Ash's light scolding. Serena padded forward on the sand, approaching a different area where the sea met the sand and taking in the sea breeze. Lillie was soon at her side.

"I always find the ocean so calming," the blonde said, her hands behind her back. "Someday, I want to go on an adventure and see all there is to see…but…"

"But what?" Serena asked, not looking towards her. There was a trepidation in her voice; the same heard when she was talking about being unable to watch Ceremonies. Lillie shook her head and clasped tightly to her bag, prompting Serena to look at it.

"No, Nebby, there are too many people around."

"Pew…" Nebby said disappointingly. Serena smiled a little and turned back to the sea, her face suddenly meeting with a large bubble that popped and splashed water all over her face. She blinked.

"Oh my goodness," Lillie said with a gasp as she covered her mouth, "are you all right, Serena?"

"Yeah, I'm…" Serena let her words die in her throat as she stared at the source of the bubble. Resting there on the cusp of beach and sea was a Pokémon, a bubble forming at its large pinkish nose. It sent the bubble upwards and then spun, clapping its blue flippers together as it did so, its tail providing it balance for the cascade of bubbles to pop in quick succession.

"Pahpahpah!" it barked out while slapping its flippers together. Once it had finished, it looked up to Serena with a smile. She wasn't sure what to make of this new Pokémon, though Lillie clapped her hands together.

"Oh, it's a Popplio!" she said joyously. "They're one of the Pokémon given out to beginners. I've seen Kahuna Hala hold a choosing ceremony so many times, but it's rare to see one in the wild, from what I understand."

"Well, it's certainly…energetic…" Serena remarked, watching as Popplio flipped back into the sea and danced upon it like a ballerina, shooting bubbles everywhere. She watched it awhile, noting how wonderful its performance technique was, almost like it'd been practicing to show off to whoever came to the bay. It seemed to finish by shooting a Water Gun up in the air, letting it rain down, though it turned out to just be a stream of concentrated bubbles. A nice finish for a great performance. Serena and Lillie found themselves clapping, drawing the attention of the others and reminding Serena of the promise she had made. "Right, I guess that means I should show you  _my_  performance."

"Oh, yes, please!" Lillie agreed, clasping her hands together and backing up. Ash and the others all joined her as Serena turned to face them. Looking at Lillie's beaming face, she knew she had to truly perform at her peak, even if it was just a little practice.

"Okay, Braixen, time to perform!" Serena called, tossing her pokeball up into the air. Braixen emerged from the brightness, stick alight and ready to perform. "Let's make this short and sweet. Use Fire Blast!"

"Brai!" Braixen called, pointing her wand to the sky and firing off the brilliant red and orange wheel of flame. The way it shot out appeared to be like a phoenix, the spindles folding in towards the center. Serena began to spin around on the sand, her back moving up against Braixen's as the embers from the Fire Blast began to fall.

"Now, use Hidden Power on the embers," Serena said calmly. Braixen twirled her wand and held it out, brimming with a silver glow. Serena reached out for her trusted Pokémon's hand, taking it as they spun together amidst the glow of the embers. People nearby stopped to watch as Serena let go of Braixen's hand, raising her own skyward. The Fox Pokémon's wand raised towards the sky and fired off copious silver particles. Each of them flew for the falling embers, one of the orbs streaking for the center of the flames.

As they all struck their specific targets, they burst out with popping fireworks of red and silver, allowing Serena and Braixen to strike a pose together, their arms outward. Lillie instantly began clapping furiously, along with Bonnie. She wasn't the only one, either. Numerous other spectators were clapping at the very short performance, none more louder than the Popplio still resting in the sea. Serena turned her head a little bit back to see it doing flips over the water, overjoyed at the performance.

"Amazing! What a performance!" cried another voice from the crowd that had stopped to watch. The sound of kicked sand met Serena's ears and she turned in the direction of the voice. "No! No! Please don't move! I want to mark this down and capture i…Ah, you! The model!"

"Model?" Ash asked and Serena saw his confused smile. "When did that happen, Serena?"

"I have no idea…" she chuckled out, but she finally got a good look at the girl asking her to stay still. The other spectators appeared less than interested and began moving off, but Serena very quickly recognized the girl as  _another_  that she had met in the clothing store. Her loose black ponytail, traveling down her neck as she boxed her fingers a moment and began to quickly sketch the image of Serena's performance. In mere seconds, she seemed to finish and shoved the sketch pad messily inside of her bag.

"Thanks for the help!" the girl said, skipping over to her. At her approach, Ash and the others all walked forward as well. Serena heard a splashing behind her and noticed the Popplio swimming back into the bay, now that it wasn't receiving any more attention. "Name's Maka, Leilani Participant and Film Maker Extraordinaire!"

"Oh, you're here to participate in the Leilani Ceremony?" Serena asked, finally moving out of the position she had subconsciously been holding.

"Sure am! Me  _and_ my film crew are gonna make the Ali'i ka Leilani, so we can make the best movie of all time that everyone will love watching," Maka said, tucking some loose wisps of her black hair behind her ear. They seemed to slip right back so the girl rolled her eyes and dug into her bag. She was still digging as Clemont spoke.

"Film crew?" the inventor asked, sounding a cross between intrigued and confused. He wasn't alone, given that both Ash and Bonnie were looking around for said film crew. Maka heard him, but appeared to be extremely preoccupied, which lasted until she pulled out a red ribbon and tied it around her hair to hold the strands back confidently, the ponytail tighter than before.

"Much better!" she said before then taking four pokeballs out and tossing them. "Meet my film crew!"

"Oricorio!" cried chirping voices and Serena's eyes widened. Four identical Pokémon had appeared before them all, looking like dancing birds with yellow feathers and pompoms.

"They're my Oricorio film crew," Maka told them all proudly. Rotom instantly began rambling off a description of what the Pokémon were, but all Serena could focus on was the fact they were all identical. "I call them Mele, Aki, Ula, and Ponpon! By the time our journey to become the Ali'i ka Leilani is over, they'll all be different!"

"Orrrri!" the Oricorio said, saluting their trainer. Serena looked to Rotom now, along with all the others, who appeared stunned speechless.

"It is true! Oricorio is a Pokémon that changes form depending on the nectar it consumes," Rotom informed them. "There is a different nectar on each island of Alola."

"And I plan to find them all, even if I have to pay for them!" Maka said energetically before pointing at Serena, a wild grin on her face as her yellow shirt fluttered outward, showing her stomach a little. "All I have to do is beat you to reach my dream!"

"Not  _just_  me," Serena assured her, but Maka shook her head fervently.

"Of course, just you. All I needed was five seconds to tell that you're, like, the top one here. My goal to beat."

"You could tell that all from five seconds?" Ash said in amusement, folding his arms a little after scratching Pikachu behind the ears. His best friend leapt off his shoulders to join Bonnie and Dedenne, who appeared to be bored and were now running around the beach. Lillie watched them a moment before her attention went back to Maka. Said girl placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out proudly.

"Of  _course_ ," she insisted. "Any filmmaker worth their salt should be able to spot a moneymaking shot right away, and that was it. Honestly, if I wasn't a novice at this stuff, I'd want to sign a contract with you right away. Er…if I knew your name."

"I'm Serena," she answered quickly. Maka nodded, calling her Oricorio back. She seemed to be back to observing Serena, as if taking in all of her proportions. Occasionally she'd bring her fingers together, observing her as if she were a star. Just when she seemed to finish doing that, she moved on to looking at Lillie, Clemont and Ash in turn before finally nodding again.

"Rest of you have names, too?" she finally asked, like she was looking to sign them on with some talent agency. It was almost amusing, but Serena felt the girl seemed nice enough, and definitely appeared to admire them a little.

"I'm Ash, and the one playing over there is my partner, Pikachu. I'm Serena's boyfriend."

"And I'm Clemont. The other two are my little sister Bonnie and Dedenne."

"My name is Lillie," the blonde answered. Her bag moved a little, like Nebby wanted to say hi, but she restrained it.

"Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, Serena, Lillie…got it!" Maka said, jumping up with her hands up high. "Perfect idea for a film! The lovely maiden Serena and her knight in shining armor, Ash, as they dance across the seas of Alola to face the great evil scientist Clemont in order to rescue their fair daughter, Lillie and her sister Bonnie! Might require some effects, but I can make it work, especially with a dance number or two thrown in there. Can you dance, Ash?"

"Why do I have to be the evil scientist?" Clemont questioned, but Maka ignored him, staring imploringly at Ash.

"Um…kinda…maybe," Ash said, looking embarrassed. A few feet away, Pikachu was rolling on the ground, laughing heartily. Maka quickly waved it off.

"We can get you lessons, as long as you look good right next to Serena!" Maka proclaimed, spinning around to face Serena with her hand outstretched. "What do you say?"

"Um…" was all Serena could get out, ultimately emulating her boyfriend, just as speechless. Maka looked so earnest in this desire that she was thrown off, not knowing what to say. "Well…uh…maybe we should just start by doing the Leilani Ceremony?"

"Good point," Maka said, slapping her cheeks. "Ugh, come back to reality, Maka! Sorry to bother you all. I didn't mean to interrupt your training. Can't wait until we compete tomorrow. Let's talk after that, huh?"

"Sure…thing…" Serena said, but Maka was already dashing off towards the Pokémon Center and the setting sun. Ash walked up next to Serena, the two of them watching the girl that was tearing away, having not even issued the customary farewell. "She was interesting."

"And probably someone to watch out for," Ash stated. Serena wasn't sure what to make of that, but she didn't have to, as Ash explained himself. "She reminds me a little of a female version of Sawyer, if a little zanier."

"Good point," she laughed out in response. Suddenly, her stomach let out a small gurgle. "Well, she was right on one point, though: we should get to the Pokémon Center."

"Sounds good to me. Come on, Pikachu and Dedenne," Bonnie said, running off towards the building before Clemont could even call her name. Ash ran his hand down Serena's arm as he and Lillie went off after the siblings and she shivered a little. Her head was still reeling a little, but she cleared it all away with a smile. The honey-blonde Performer took a quick look back out to the ocean in time to see what looked like Popplio diving back beneath the surface. Then she ran to catch up with her friends and focus on the Ceremony that was to come the next morning.

* * *

"Alola one, alola all! It's that time once again for the presentation of beauty in nature, the Leilani Ceremony!" yelled the voice, echoing through the Hall. The entire crowd stood and bowed, giving their own chant of "Alola" to the participants who would be stepping onto the stage. They exhibited a moment of silence, bowing to their guardian deities, despite not saying it aloud, but soon straightened up for the procession of activities to continue. "I am your presenter and Master of Ceremony, Maika Olelo, here to officiate the Kala'e Ceremony. Judging the participants are our panel of local judges including the esteemed Nurse Joy and the mayor of Kala'e Bay!"

"Ooh, looks pretty packed out there," whispered Maka's voice from right next to Serena's head. Dressed in her performance outfit, the honey-blonde turned to her new friend, who was fidgeting a little with her own dress: a strappy yellow one, adorned with flowers that traveled all the way down to her knees. It made her look younger, especially with the way her red ribbon was adorned in her hair, holding it up in a bun. "Give it your best, huh, Serena?"

"You, too, Maka," she said, reaching out to shake the girl's hand. Maka grinned and clasped it with both of hers. As she did so, Serena looked at the other six contestants there, not recognizing a single one; Jessilie clearly hadn't had the chance to attend. Either way, they had taken the time to prepare that morning and now the Ceremony was about to begin.

"Now, let's introduce our participants!" Maika's voice yelled out next. Maka let go of her hands and Serena faced forward, face setting itself into a smile. It was time to win. Seeing as none of the other participants were making moves towards the stage, Serena steeled herself and stepped forward, leading their whole entire group on to the stage. As she reached the center, the crowd in the hall cheered loudly, welcoming her presence there and she took a light bow.

Maka did the same next to her, a very gracious look on her face. It was a contrast to the hyperactive way she seemed to consider herself outside of the Ceremony. Ash's words from the night before floated back to her as she came to a standstill next to the black-haired girl.  _Someone to watch out for._  Seeing her here now, Serena could believe it. This was a girl genuinely determined to win and become the Ali'i ka Leilani.

_Well, she'll have to beat me first,_  Serena assured herself and her eyes became steely as Maika began to explain the process of the Kala'e Ceremony. Up in the crowd, Serena caught sight of all her friends, watching in anticipation.

"As you in the audience all know, the Leilani Ceremony consists of three parts!" Maika told everyone in the crowd. Comfey rose up from around Nurse Joy, floating over to Maika, containing the object of all of their desires: the Lei. "The Course, the Performance, and the Battle. The one who makes it to the end of this wins the esteemed prize of the Ceremony: the Kala'e Lei!"

"Yes," Maka whispered, clenching her fist and pulling it towards her body.

"So, without further ado, let's begin with the Course!" Maika yelled, sending the crowd into a cheer as she whipped around. Serena turned as well, seeing the usual white veil fall away to show exactly what she had expected from yesterday evening. There seemed to be a water-based obstacle course stretching out in front of them, various platforms floating along the surface as they sat with rings attached to buoys. Most notable were, like the previous time, the stations with attendants sitting at them, only this time they had waterproofed screens behind them instead of objects on a desk. Serena listened closely to Maika's instructions.

"The objective of the Water Course is simple! Each participant will choose one Pokémon to clear the course, with any type allowed. Each Pokémon will be required to do two things during this course: one, to pass through every ring on the course, and two, to approach all three stations and answer the questions correctly. Of course, the trainer is allowed to help, but one would hope that the connection between them and their Pokémon will help them to answer. However, do be wary!" Maika's note drew the attention of the crowd, who leaned in. Even Serena's mind was given to the warning that the announcer was providing. "We don't want to interfere with the wildlife of the Pokémon in Kala'e Bay, meaning that  _they_  might just interfere on the course…oh, and if you get a question wrong, you're out! The first four to make it to the end proceed onward!"

"Tricky, tricky," Maka said, now extending her hands, locking her fingers and cracking her knuckles. "But me and my film crew are ready for anything!"

"So are we," Serena said to the girl, sharing a look of challenge with her.

"Participants, if you'll stand up to the line and call forth your Pokémon!"

Serena followed instructions, keeping herself next to Maka in the lineup, the both of their bodies tensing, ready for action. There were one or two other participants that looked just as tense, but some of them were relaxed, obviously in it just to have fun. That was fine with her; having fun was just as important, but she was determined to win, calling out Sylveon.

"Are you ready?" Serena asked of her beloved Fairy type. Sylveon wrapped her feelers around Serena's wrist and mewled while one of Maka's Oricorio appeared next to her, shaking its pompoms. There was a splash along the obstacle course, and it served to confirm what Maika had said about Pokémon that would potentially be in their path. Sylveon disengaged and bounded forward, ready to begin.

"And…Begin!"

"Sylveon, aim Fairy Wind right behind you!" Serena ordered to begin. One of her fellow participants had already ordered a Quick Attack, blazing forward on the first platform that floated. Sylveon was too busy executing her order to notice, whipping her feelers back. The ribbons produced gusts of pink wind behind her and gave Sylveon an extra boost in speed. She began to gallop forward, landing nimbly on the platform. "Use your feelers to grab onto the ring and swing through! Keep going like that!"

"All right, let's show Serena what we can do, Mele!"

"Orico!" Mele said, wearing a very fierce expression. As if it were an order, Mele ran forward, flipping nimbly onto the platform and continuing at a run. Serena's eyebrows arched, surprised at just how fast the little one was moving. In just seconds, Mele had caught up with Sylveon and used its powerful legs to kick upward, sailing through the ring with a spin. Sylveon didn't let herself get deterred, however, latching on with her feelers and flinging upwards, rolling onto the next platform, neck and neck with Mele.

"Use Double Team," Serena said, an idea forming in her mind. Sylveon seemed to understand, because she crouched and numerous copies of herself spread across the platform, creating a gridlock that stretched all the way to the end.

"Ooh…Air Cutter!" Maka called from next to her. She wasn't the only one who had the idea to attack Sylveon's doubles. Serena didn't focus on the blades of air or any other attacks, though. She needed to time this perfectly to make sure that Sylveon didn't get hurt. A Finneon leapt over them, blowing bubbles at a Bagon that had seemed to misfire with a Dragon Rage.

"Now!" Serena commanded, throwing her hand to the air. One of the seeming copies shot their feelers out, followed by every other one that was left, towards the ring. Maka seemed to get a grasp on her strategy and told Mele to ignore the copies, instead aiming for the goal. Sylveon reached it first, bursting through the ring and landing on the quiz platform.

The attendant there pressed a button and the question appeared on the screen, not even needing the man to say anything.  _Which of these evolves Pikachu?_  Displayed there were three options, but Sylveon didn't even need to wait to answer, slapping her feeler onto the picture of the Thunder Stone. The screen dinged loudly, allowing Sylveon to jump away and onto the next platform with a cheerful cry. Although, the next platform was more of an inclined slope leading to a water slide, but with rings on the side of the slope. Mele managed to make it there as well, but Serena didn't pay attention to Maka's obviously correct answer. It was soon followed by a slew of correct answers, and it seemed that all eight participants had managed to make it on to the next row of challenges.

"It's heating up here, with all eight participants still in the race!" Maika's voice said. Serena's eyes narrowed, observing how to clear the rings there as quickly as they could. Maka appeared to already have an idea as Mele was speeding forward, flipping through one ring and using its side to bound over to the next, easily climbing the hill before them. Serena then snapped her fingers, coming up with an idea.

"This'll be tricky, Sylveon," Serena cried. "First use Double Team, even in the air!"

"Sylvie!" Sylveon confirmed, crying out. Her doubles once more appeared, although this time, instead of congesting the platform, many of them appeared to be hanging in the air. Serena knew it would last for only a moment, however, and her commands sprang into action.

"Now, use Protect with those on the side and bounce off them to get through the rings!"

"Serena looks to be taking quite the interesting approach to completing this very tricky portion of the course," Maika announced to the crowd. Ash could be heard, cheering loudly from the stands, leading a lot of the crowd to cheer in interest. Serena only held her breath, watching as Sylveon leapt through one of the rings, bounding off the Protect and speeding towards the next ring. It took a few bounces, but she finally reached the top of the slope after passing through all the rings, and the copies disappeared as one of the Pokémon fell into the water, floundering around.

"Sylveon, use your feelers to pull it back up," Serena said, not wanting to see the poor Makuhita flounder in the water. Sylveon nodded and extended her feelers to pull the Pokémon back up before leaping to the top of the slide and riding it down to the bottom. Mele was ahead of them, already reaching the second station and answering the question. Sylveon landed there soon after.

_The site of Melemele's Island trial is…?_  Serena blinked, not expecting that kind of question. Obviously it wasn't hard given the display of Hau'oli City, some random cavern labeled as Ten Carat Hill and the Verdant Cavern, but it still wasn't something she thought would be asked. Like before, Sylveon had no problem answering the question and she leapt to what looked to be the longest platform, the rings easily stretching down and around it at an even level. It simply seemed too easy to get to that final station.

"Go quickly, but cautiously," Serena called to her partner just as the screen for the second station buzzed loudly. Someone had answered their question wrong.

"Our participants are now entering the final and most dangerous part of the course, where wild Pokémon lurk deep, ready to attack any who disturb their habitats," Maika told the crowd, though it seemed to be just as much for the participants' own benefit. "This will require them to make peace with those around them."

"We can do this, Mele!" Maka cheered as Mele dashed along the platform. Its movements appeared to disturb some of the water at the sides of the floating stage. Sylveon was far more moderate, running forward, but not enough to actually move the platforms. It still seemed easy going, though…

And that was when Serena noticed it: the pink spikes sticking out near the end of the platform, no doubt belonging to a Corsola. Sylveon appeared to sense her hesitation and slowed, but Mele continued on without stopping. "Hold it back!"

"Syl!" Sylveon cried. Her ribbons lashed out and snapped on to Mele. Maka looked at Serena in hurtful surprise, but just as Sylveon managed to pull Mele away, the Corsola suddenly launched an attack of Water Gun and Spikes combined, littering the platform in the spiky little things. Thankfully, Mele was safe, even if the Corsola weren't stopping their assault. Serena grit her teeth, trying to think of a way out of it without hurting the Corsola.

A shadow passed under the water, one that looked vaguely familiar to Serena. She tracked it for a moment as another buzzing was sounded. Then the shape leapt out of the water, spinning through the air and tossing bubbles at the Corsola. They impacted, driving them backwards, and in the gleaming sun, Serena could see the form of Popplio arching through the air. It turned to face Serena and clapped its hands together happily, as if to tell her that it was helping out. Serena couldn't help but chuckle.

"Let's finish off, Sylveon!"

"You, too, Mele!" Maka yelled. Sylveon let go of Mele and began dashing forward once more, followed closely by Mele. They passed through ring after ring, drawing ever nearer to that final station. Just as they were about to reach it, Mele burst forward, flipping through the air and landing on the station ahead of Sylveon. The question came up, and there was no delay in Mele answering, offering a beep that said it was correct. Sylveon then approached.

_What is the most major clothing store in Hau'oli City?_  That was an entirely random question, and yet, Serena was grateful that she knew the answer to it. Sylveon turned to look at her, and she jerked her head towards the third and final option that read "Hau'oli Fashion". The screen dinged and Serena let out a breath of relief. She had passed the Course segment.

"All right! You were great, Mele!" Maka called, as Mele finished her approach, leaping into the younger girl's arms. Sylveon approached as well and Serena leaned down to stroke her fur kindly. "And thank  _you_ , Serena."

"For what?" Serena asked of Maka as their next participant approached the station, but seemed to answer the question wrong.

"For saving Mele," Maka admitted with a laugh. "I totally didn't see those Corsola there, so thanks."

"It's no problem," Serena assured her, winking a little. The two girls reached forward and gave one another a high five before watching the remainder of the Course to see who their next two competitors would be. As they did so, Serena caught sight of the Popplio from last evening and during the course, floating in the sea, watching her. Occasionally it would toss some bubbles out, flipping up and down a little. She watched it until the final ding, indicating that the Course segment was complete.

"And there's the bell!" Maika called. "We have our four Performers: Maka, Serena, Leko and Ipu! A round of applause for all our participants, even those who lost!"

Serena found herself clapping alongside the audience for all of her opponents, breathing in, steadying herself. She was right back here again. The Performance stage. Lifting her gaze, Serena saw Ash pumping his fists into the air with Pikachu and Bonnie jumping up and down next to Chespin. However, what drew her attention the most was Lillie, sitting next to Ash, clutching at her bag and looking like she was having the time of her life. It was the smile that lit a flame inside Serena as she returned Sylveon and gripped Pancham's pokeball. The screen, just as in Pua Town, suddenly erected itself and the judges all sat up in their seats to evaluate the coming performances. On the screen, the four pictures of them appeared, wasting no time moving on, just as last time. They shuffled around, the two boys and two girls, until finally arranging themselves in some semblance of order.

"Up first is the lovely Serena! And to all our participants, just remember that you are allowed the use of one Pokémon to create a routine together as you see fit! The theme this time is flowing water!" Maika called to the crowd, all of them cheering wonderfully, even if it was just out of basic respect.

"Right…" Serena said, holding Lillie's smile, and Maka's thanks, close to her heart as her fellow Performers cleared the stage, allowing Serena to walk into the center.  _Flowing water…okay…I think I have it. Pancham is versatile enough to make it work…_

Serena walked to the center of the stage, scanning her eyes along the crowd. Pancham popped out of his pokeball to stand alongside her until she faced front. Lillie's gleaming eyes shined out to her from the crowd, and Serena smiled, letting the same feeling that had filled her yesterday bubble up to the surface.  _Water. Flowing water._  An image of one of Ash's training sessions at Oak's lab came to her mind, and she was ready to begin.

"Pancham, on your back and spin using Dark Pulse!" Serena called, spinning around and placing her hand to the ground. Pancham flipped a little, falling onto his back and rotating around. The inky, dark swirling energy formed between his hands and then he let it off, much like Ash's Counter Shield. The Dark Pulse waved around, looking like small rivulets despite their actual contents. They twisted and twirled, intersecting with one another as they did so. At the same time, Serena twirled around, dancing to the side and through the vapors left behind, making it seem like she was passing through a waterfall. "Now flip back to me!"

"Pan!" Pancham called, flipping back. The trails of his Dark Pulse came off like wisps, water running out as he landed by her. He looked up at his trainer for just a moment, and Serena nodded. Pancham turned his momentum into a series of flips, allowing him to bound forward and do multiple movements at the same time. Every time his paw touched the stage, a stone emerged from it, encasing them somewhat within the construct.

Yet despite the solidly hard objects they were working with, Serena had no trepidation; she danced to the side, slipping and flowing between a pair of rocks. On the other side of the enclosure, Pancham was doing so as well. "Arm Thrust!"

"Cham!" Pancham acquiesced, his fist glowing bright white, slamming into the Stone Edge and breaking it into pieces that seemed to hover in the air. Serena picked up her pace alongside her Pokémon, the two of them twirling remarkably quickly, intersecting with one another as they passed between the stones. Every time they did, Pancham would break the stones apart, and Serena could only figure that they looked like stones themselves, flowing along with a river until their demolition was complete.

"Now, to me, Pancham!" Serena called, continuing to wear her smile. As they once more drew close, Pancham flipped upwards, landing on her shoulder. "And Dark Pulse!"

"Pan Pancham!" Pancham called, clambering over her outstretched arms as he shot his Dark Pulse out. It morphed slightly, no longer just a straight shot of black, swirling energy, but more like a wave that went through the area, consuming the broken stones, turning them into dark purple glitters. Then they floated off, carried along on the breeze as Pancham finished his attack and landed right in front of Serena.

"Finish!" she called to the crowd, and then bowed low. They seemed to cheer loudly, but Serena knew that was no indication, and she refused to look at the judges and what their faces could convey. Instead, she looked towards Lillie, the girl furiously clapping her hands together next to Ash, looking like that performance had been the greatest thing in the world. When she could no longer stay on the stage, Serena shifted her gaze to Maka, who was framing her once more with her hands in excitement. However, she seemed to rein it in as one of the male performers walked past her with their Bagon.

"Lilili!" barked a sound from the water behind the stage, causing Serena to turn in that direction when she reached the safety of the side of the stage. Somehow, she wasn't surprised to see the Popplio from earlier clapping happily, having enjoyed her performance. In fact, as the next two Performers gave their own routines (including a somewhat poor attempt at turning Dragon Rage into a water form), Serena found her attention split between them and the Popplio that appeared to be doing its own routine. It was certainly a Pokémon to be admired, wanting attention but seemingly not getting it. In fact, it appeared to realize this by the time Maka was making her way to center stage with one of her Oricorio (she was pretty sure it wasn't Mele this time around, but it was so hard to tell). Once it had, the Popplio hung its head sadly and splashed into the water. It made Serena's heart hurt a little, while giving her an idea at the same time.

Smiling to herself, Serena turned back to watch Maka perform, and she had to admit…the girl was very good. Perhaps not as good as someone like Jessilie or even (she shuddered at the thought) Keoni, but she was someone who very obviously knew what they wanted in advance. The only possibly detrimental thing that she noticed was any lack of improvisation. Every move, like Oricorio's fast feet leaping off Maka's head, removing the ribbon and then tossing it upward, seemed rehearsed and planned, which made sense given Maka's obsession with film. As the ribbon floated through the air, Oricorio spun, moving in undulating waves and sending an Air Cutter upward that sent a breeze around the ribbon, but never broke it. Instead, it looked like a constantly floating river until the rotors of wind broke apart into falling shimmers.

"And that's a wrap!" Maka called, winking at the crowd. She caught her ribbon while Oricorio shook its pompoms proudly. The crowd, like before, cheered loudly at Maka's performance and she skipped her way back over to Serena and the other two while Maika took the stage yet again, microphone in hand.

"We will now allow our judges a moment to convene and determine the winners of the Performance Portion!" she spoke, and the crowd quieted down, turning to speak amongst themselves. As they did, Maka chose to strike up a conversation with Serena.

"You were super awesome out there, Serena," the girl said, tying her hair back up with her red ribbon. Serena had to admit that it suited her. "I'm honestly a little jealous."

"Really? I thought your performance was very captivating," Serena assured her with a smile. "Very befitting of someone who wants to be a future director."

"Well, every performance is like a script and storyboard. When you've worked it all out in your head and gotten it down onto paper, you can do everything you need to make it look great. That's how me and the others do things!" she said, pointing at her chest emphatically with her thumb. The other two participants threw her slightly annoyed looks, but continued to ignore them both, nevertheless.

"That's one way to do things!" Serena admitted gaily. Maka laughed with her, both of the girls sharing a nice moment before Serena noticed that the judges had finished convening. Maika was clearly calling all of them over to the stage. Lifting a hand to once more high five her new friend and potential rival, Serena led Maka and all the others over to the center of the stage as the screen burst with light and showed their four faces with empty spaces next to it for where their ranking would go.

"The results are in! After a judging process between our esteemed hosts, the two trainers that will be moving on to the Battle Portion where they will compete for the Kala'e Lei are…" Maika said, spinning around a few times before pointing to the screen for dramatic effect. Serena clenched the large bow on her dress, hoping, praying for the favorable result. "…Maka and Serena!"

"All right!" Maka expressed, jumping up in jubilation. Serena was less animated, instead letting her breath of tension out, causing her dress to flutter a little. The others looked disappointed, but as Maika began to speak, sound returned to Serena, allowing her to listen to what the woman was saying while noticing the two that hadn't proceeded slinking off the stage.

"And so, we've reached the final round of the Kala'e Ceremony!" Maika announced, making the crowd grow even more excited. Serena hadn't noticed it before, since she had lost in Pua Town, but now that she was moving on, she could really tell how much this portion excited them out of anything. In fact, it excited more than the crowd, but also her friends, boyfriend, Maka and, to the best of her knowledge, that wild Popplio, which seemed to have resurfaced. "You all know what that means: Battle Portion!

"Before we begin, we'll briefly go over the rules for the Battle Portion to make sure our participants understand," the announcer continued, briefly adjusting her dress as she swayed forward on the stage. "Unlike the previous two rounds there is no special 'theme' to contend with. However, what is to be considered is how in sync and beautiful one looks with their Pokémon. If the trainer is deemed as one or both of these things, they will earn a flower on the screen…if not…well, they'll lose a flower. These flowers are given out based on the judges' joint perceptions. Each participant is only allowed the use of one Pokémon, and the round will come to an end when one of the participants has earned seven flowers!"

"Seven…" Serena noted, nodding to herself. In some part, she didn't like the number seven anymore, for whatever reason, but determined it was negligible. If seven would help her proceed, she'd take it.

"If our participants will take the stage, we can, at long last, begin the Battle Portion!" Maika appeared to shimmy off the stage while Maka walked boldly to the other end, opposite Serena. The two faced one another and the crowd quieted down for them to begin. In that moment, it seemed to hit her just how much reverence the locals held for the Ceremony, even the judges who were bowing their heads. Serena seemed to take it as a sign and she bowed towards Maka, who had already initiated her own.

There was a light beeping from the screen, and as Serena raised her head, she could see her and Maka's pictures on the screen with transparent shapes of flowers spinning on it. Then the screen dinged once more, indicating for the battle to begin.

"Mele, it's action time and use Captivate!"

"Braixen, you're up!" Serena called. Braixen emerged from her pokeball, looking wary as the duo awaited the attack that Maka had already ordered. Mele emerged from its pokeball, landing with a spin. Then Maka began to move her hands up and down, like she was rehearsed in dancing. Mele also shook its pompoms, and hearts began to emerge in a shower that wafted over to Braixen.

"B-Brai?" Braixen questioned before nearly dropping to her knee. Serena's gaze narrowed in worry at Braixen's loss of strength, though it was obvious that it was the result of Captivate. A dinging sound indicated that Maka had earned a flower.

"Remember, no time to panic," Serena told Braixen confidently. The Fox Pokémon nodded as Serena pointed forward. "Flamethrower, through the hearts!"

"Sen!" Braixen confirmed, sending her wand arching out from her tail, flipping into her hand before firing off a stream of fire. The flames exploded upon the hearts, causing them to disappear into a fine glitter that looked more like fireworks before the fire hit Mele, causing it to shriek. Another ding indicated that Serena had earned a flower.

"Use Air Cutter!" Maka ordered. She and Mele both spun as the Oricorio used his powerful legs to bound into the air, spinning and shaking its pompoms wildly. The rotors of air soared out, their edges clearly as sharp as ever. Serena opened her mouth, prepared to order a Fire Blast, but hesitated for just a second.  _Too much fire…_

"Hidden Power to block!" Serena commanded, sweeping her hand out and then raising it to the air. Braixen's flames ended as she brought her wand back, the silver glow at its tip. Then she thrust forward and sent the silver orbs out in wide and curving arcs. The Air Cutter made no move to avoid it and Braixen's attack struck, exploding in white and silver powders.

"What a move from Serena!" Maika called to the crowd's oohing. Serena's eyes briefly flicked over to the screen, wondering why she had mentioned that to see that Maka's score had dropped while her own had raised.

"It really is just like the KTT…" Serena breathed out before chuckling. "Then let's press our advantage! Fire Spin columns, get to Mele quickly!"

"Brai brai!" Braixen concurred. She began to twirl forward, her wand spinning along with her, tapping the floor as she crossed the stage. Large columns of rotating fire burst up from the stage, like bright stage lights, and Serena could see Maka's face light up, as if envisioning a new scene of her film. She didn't let it distract her, however, even as Serena appeared to earn another flower on the scoreboard.

"Use Revelation Dance!" Maka ordered. Serena watched the younger girl, noting how she seemed to move along with her Pokémon, even in a battle. She couldn't believe she hadn't had the idea to try so earlier, especially when Mele's swift pompon shaking generated electricity that burst out and tore the fiery column away. All it left behind was a discharge of electricity, hanging in the air. Only Mele wasn't stopping. His talons were flipping over, supported by his pompoms as he flipped with the bursting electricity.

"Block him, now!" Serena called. Braixen raised her stick just as Mele's dance brought him upward in the air and then crashing down with an electrified and pulsing talon onto the wand. The two strained against each other, the sparks created from their collision mixing with the heat from Braixen's fur. It made a shimmering haze appear between the two and a simultaneous ding revealed that both girls had earned themselves a flower. Serena at four, Maka at two. The girl was slowly catching up.

"Use your other talon for an Air Cutter, straight up!"

"Rrrico!" Oricorio cried and seemed to do a kick up. Braixen's guard faltered, forcing her to raise her wand. The Revelation Dance had ended, but Mele's next attack had already begun, flinging the rotors of compressed air upwards.

"Counter with Flamethrower for distance!" Serena told Braixen, flipping backwards as if to give a command to her partner. Braixen seemed to perfectly understand, because she, too, flipped backwards, firing her Flamethrower out as she made a wall between her and Mele. The Air Cutter impacted with the stage, but vanished in the licking flames. Another ding sounded, granting Serena another point.  _Two to go…_

"Combo time!" Maka proclaimed proudly now, framing the stage with her hands once again. "Time to use Captivate!"

"Oriori!" Oricorio chirped out, once more shaking his pompoms. The hearts flew out, but Serena knew that Maka had something up her sleeve as she began dancing, too, her dress fluttering out. Oricorio did the same, moving back and forth on his portion of the stage. Then Maka finished her routine by pointing towards Braixen. Oricorio, like Braixen had for Serena, took his trainer's actions as commands and used his talons to blast forward. He soared through the hearts at tremendous speed, electrifying them as they burst. Those sparks ignited with the fire wall, creating a perfect backdrop for Oricorio to burst through and impact with Braixen in the chest.

"Braixen!" Serena called, to make sure that she was okay. Braixen nodded lightly and grinned. At the same time, Maka's score had gone up two whole points while Serena's had dropped. Two perfectly beautiful attacks, two points. They were tied, but Serena turned to the stage and Braixen, having already thought of a way to bring the battle home. "Time to finish this. Sorry, Maka, but I'm going to win."

"Yeah, sure, we'll see," Maka said, grinning. She loosened her ribbon, clutching it in her hand as her long black hair floated out.

"Remember rehearsal last night?" Serena asked the girl with a grin. Braixen got the message immediately and she ran on the stage, flipping through the air before landing in a crouch. "Fire Spin!"

"Braixen!" Braixen called out, aiming her wand to the sky. Three rotating turrets of fire blasted out into the sky, traveling in an arc that seemed it would eventually impact with Mele. Maka's eyes widened, seeming to understand Serena's words. So did Braixen, springing out of her crouch to send a five-pronged Fire Blast into the sky. It undulated and changed into various shapes, especially as it merged and disconnected with the Fire Spins, creating embers that brushed onto Mele. The Oricorio shook himself to remove the flames, but it was too late.

"Hidden Power!" Serena said. Something told her it was best to finish the battle without a Fire type move. Braixen twirled her wand like a baton and then aimed the silver cascade upwards. They jettisoned out, joining with the embers and raining upon the stage like a flow of molten silver, all too similar to water. The crowd cheered wildly, though Serena just focused in on Maka's face, her eyes wide with awe.

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_  came the noise from the screen, prompting Serena to turn and look. She was glad she had, for her face was flashing on the screen, all seven flowers blooming and blinking wildly.

"That's it! The winner is decided!" Maika's voice called to the crowd, who erupted in further cheers. The embers continued to fade away, leaving a disappointed Mele behind as the commentator stepped up onto the stage. "And what a conclusion! Serena defeats Maka in the Battle Portion by earning three points all at once! A brilliant combination showcasing the true trust between trainer and Pokémon!"

"Yeah! Serena!" Ash's voice could be heard loudly. Serena turned in its direction and beamed, seeing all of her friends giving a standing ovation to her. It would have been a little embarrassing, had she not been filled with such joy. That indescribable joy was only heightened by the look of adulation upon Lillie's face. Serena raised her hand and began to wave furiously, earning a positive reception from the crowd.

"Thank you, Braixen," Serena said to her trusted Pokémon. Braixen nodded, and both looked over to Maka, returning Mele. The dark-haired girl looked like she wanted to say something, but as Maika began to cross the stage, she thought better about it. She offered a smile and then returned to behind the curtain where Serena was certain she heard the sounds of the Popplio from earlier clapping and cheering.

"With that, the Kala'e Ceremony comes to an end," Maika was telling the still seated audience. "And so, we present to Serena, the coveted prize of our honorable Ceremony: the Kala'e Lei. May you wear it with the blessings of the Tapus."

"Thank you," Serena said, bowing low, just as she had at the start of battle. When she straightened, Maika was holding a hand out. Resting on her palm was the Kala'e Lei, looking like a loose collection of blue flowers that appeared more like bubbles in their state. With a near shaking hand, Serena reached forward and clasped it. Despite it being cold, Serena felt nothing but warmth from it.

She had grown.

"Ta-da!" Serena cried out, holding the Kala'e Lei for everyone, especially her friends, to see. "I got my first Lei!"

"Yeah! You did it!" cried Bonnie's voice, and Serena could swear she heard Chespin cheering as well. The crowd drowned them out though. Serena then lowered it, clasping it in her palm and to her chest.  _Another step…one step closer…Reeree…_

Holding her promise in her heart, Serena began to cry a single tear of joy in her place of victory.

* * *

"Well, that didn't go so great!" Maka's voice groaned out as the two Performers exited from the Ceremony Hall. The younger girl had already changed by the time Serena had returned to the preparation room, packing her things up with great enthusiasm while Serena changed. Once she had, Maka quickly grinned at her and latched onto her, pulling her from the hall. Serena went along with it, not seeing her friends at all and discerning that they'd be outside. Once they had gotten there, Maka had expressed her sentiment. "I was really hoping to win my first Lei, but it seems like I'll have to wait a little longer…"

"You're really skilled, though," Serena told her. Maka threw her hands behind her head, grinning positively. "I'm sure you'll win it sooner than later."

"I plan to!" Maka assured her. She whipped her bag off, going through its clearly messy contents once more. "There's another Ceremony in Hau'oli City in a week, and from there I'll take a boat to Akala and get the nectar for Aki before finding another one to take part in! And one day, I'll even beat you, Serena!"

"M-me?" Serena asked, though she really wasn't all that surprised. Maka skipped forward, her green skirt fluttering a little as she took Serena's hands.

"You were totally awesome out there! I realized when I was battling you that you're the one I just  _have_  to try and beat. That way, it'll have more meaning when you become my lead star!" Maka told her, adding on a little wink at the end. Serena laughed, flattered by the girl's high opinion of her as she separated.

"Serena!" called Ash's voice across the waves crashing at shore. The honey-blonde turned and raised her hand to wave at the approach of the others. They seemed to be coming from the Ceremony Hall, looking like they had struggled to break through the crowd that was there. Funnily enough, Bonnie was the first to reach Serena.

"Congratulations, Serena!" she said, hugging Serena suddenly with a grin. Rotom appeared to be asleep in her arms. "You won!"

"I did. And thanks to you, Clemont," Serena pointed out to her blond friend. Clemont blinked and pointed at himself, like he didn't realize she was actually talking to him. "You mentioned about fire techniques and my overuse of them, so I thought about them consciously during the Ceremony."

"Oh…you're welcome, then," Clemont said with a rather embarrassed flush. Lillie stepped forward, her hands behind her back as she did so.

"You were very lovely up there, Serena. Thank you so much for letting me watch!" the girl stated, bowing low with a smile. In turn, the Performer smiled back and thought of saying something, but Ash precluded that notion.

"You both did really well," he said, coming close to her. Serena swallowed, especially once he put his hands on her shoulders. "And I'm really happy that you won your first Lei."

"Thanks, Ash," Serena sighed out. She stared up into his eyes, and in that moment, forgot that they weren't alone. She leaned forward and kissed him, euphoric over her win and his support. He kissed back, feeling no obvious trepidation. It wasn't until they heard Maka's feet on the sand that they stopped, turning towards her. Once more her fingers were in a letterbox.

" _That_  is a perfect ending scene for a film right there," she said, grinning madly. At those words, she lowered her hands and slung her backpack around her shoulders once more. "This clinches it. The perfect cast, the perfect shot. Just you wait, Serena! I'm gonna catch up to you and make you promise to be my lead actress one day! Wait for it!"

"I'll look forward to it," Serena giggled out, drawing back from Ash. Maka heaved a breath.

"Well, if I'm gonna do that, I need to train a lot harder. Come on film crew, time to hit the road! See ya later!" Maka screamed before tearing off across the sand as the sun once more began to set for the day, bathing the bay in red and orange. Serena waved after the girl, even if she didn't see it. Once she had vanished along the beach's edge, though, Serena looked to Ash.

"Then next up is Iki Town."

"Iki Town?" Lillie questioned. Clemont nodded from next to her.

"Yes," he responded. "Ash is going to battle Kahuna Hala in a Grand Trial."

"Oh…" Lillie commented. Her gaze seemed to shift down to her bag, where Nebby was presumably still contained. Then she looked up at all of them. "Then, would you all mind if I joined you for a little longer?"

"Not at all!" Ash assured her. He officially separated from Serena and walked over to Lillie. The raven haired trainer reached out tentatively to touch her shoulder, but Lillie didn't jump or pull away. "We'd be happy to have you along. Right?"

"Of course," Serena assured her. As Lillie nodded, Serena turned her gaze out to sea once more, noticing some bubbles floating in the air near the shoreline. Her earlier determination flared up yet again.

"See? Now let's get going! Time for my Grand Trial!"

"Just a second, Ash," the honey-blonde suddenly interrupted. Her boyfriend blinked, as did the others, their eyes confused while she smiled at them. "There's something I need to do before we go."

"Uh…what?" Ash asked, tilting his head. She had to admit that he looked adorable, but it wasn't enough to give her pause in what she was doing. Not answering him, Serena turned on her heel and walked towards the water's edge with everyone looking after her. When she reached it, she cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed.

"Popplio! I know you're out there!" Her voice echoed around the bay, hoping to draw out the rather elusive performer. It didn't work, so Serena continued on. "You were watching us all through the Ceremony today, and you helped us during the Course! Well…I think your routine is lovely, and more people should see it! If you're willing…

"Will you go on an adventure with me? !"

"Serena…" Bonnie's voice said, as though surprised at the volume to which Serena's shouts had raised. The honey blonde ignored her, focusing on the ocean, hoping to see sight of that beautiful blue Pokémon. She listened to the waves ebbing and flowing, but with no response. Eventually she sighed, and began to turn away. "Ah, look!"

"Eeoh!" barked a loud sound, causing Serena to snap her gaze back. Popplio was gliding through the air, clapping her flippers together happily, as if completely enthralled by Serena's request. She finished arching across the sea and landed on the beach, just in front of her. "Pahpahpah!"

"You…you want to, then?" Serena asked, reaching for a pokeball. It may have seemed like such a selfish request, she figured; but at the same time, like Ash felt with so many of his Pokémon, Popplio, too, was also one that she felt she needed to have by her side. That way they could learn and grow together. Popplio, overjoyed in that moment, formed a bubble that grew larger and larger before eventually popping, soaking them both in water. Yet Serena laughed, and without any further words, she held out her pokeball. Popplio jumped up and slapped a flipper on it, being absorbed inside. It took less than a second for the ball to stop shaking and shoot stars out. Serena gripped the ball tightly for a second, hands almost trembling a little.

"Ta-da!" she whispered with enthusiasm. Then she whipped right around and displayed Popplio's new pokeball for all of her friends to see. "I caught a Popplio!"

"That's awesome, Serena!" Ash said, and all of them moved forward to congratulate her on her new capture. Gripping Popplio's pokeball tightly, she felt the same sense of warmth she'd gathered from the Lei. Burning with the passion that she shared with her new partner, Serena turned her gaze upward.

Next stop: Iki Town, and Ash's battle with Hala. With that destination in mind, she took Ash's hand, and began leading them once more on their adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Like always…a lot happened in this chapter. So, let's break it down! Okay, first, the Ceremony. I hope you're finding them to not be too rushed. The principle behind these on Melemele is that the island is small, so would be the population taking part, which is why the final round is always two people. Either way, I try to make them all different. Hope you enjoyed it; especially with Serena getting a win! Then we have Popplio, which was really obvious. I think most people when Popplio was revealed hoped Serena would be along to get it. Here, she is. And I wanted to develop the whole, "hey, this is why". I rather liked it, personally, and I hope you do too.
> 
> Lastly, Maka. Oh, dear Lord, Maka. I loved writing this girl way too much. Yes, she was the same one that appeared early on in Chapter 2 at Hau'oli Fashions. Originally, she was like Serena's version of Sawyer, and she still kind of is, but I fleshed her out more. Now she's a total film addict with a team of Oricorio! (okay, that last part was always there) I hope you enjoyed her as much as I did. In terms of looks, me and my totally brilliant artistic mind (not) imagine her to be a little like Moon and for those of you who know me and my current obsession, the red ribbon design style was taken from the character Mitsuha in the movie, Kimi no Na wa. That said, next up is the battle against Hala. Get hype!
> 
> I've enjoyed writing the story, as difficult as it is, and I'm glad you have enjoyed reading it. Hopefully you all continue to Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	12. A Kahuna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated 20th anniversary Pokeani day! Yeah, I'm a day late, but not totally my fault. Point is, here's a new chapter for you: Chapter 12! Please enjoy.

Chapter 12

A Kahuna

The travel time back to Iki Town was shorter than Ash thought, he had to admit. Although from Serena's map, it was still to take them about a day or two to reach the site of his first Grand Trial, depending on how quickly they were able to move. Of course, their group had slowed down with Lillie's inclusion, as the girl, her dress and her shoes were hardly suitable for crossing many different types of terrain. This was something she repeatedly apologized for, especially so when they'd taken a break sometime after lunch.

"Sorry, I'm not used to walking very far," she laughed out, taking her hat off and placing it on the rock she was seated upon. Ash's eyes widened just a little bit; despite having traveled along with her a couple days, he'd yet to see her hair from underneath her hat. "I'm surprised I could make it through to Melemele Meadow…How Professor Kukui expected me to get to Verdant Cavern, I don't know."

"It's all right," Clemont assured her with a smile. "We're used to taking breaks. And it's not like the Grand Trial is going anywhere."

"He's right," Ash assured Lillie. The blonde smiled at him, breathing in relief. "And it just means more time to train."

"Train?" she asked. Ash stood still and stared at her, his mouth dropping open just a little at what she had asked. In fact, he wasn't even sure how to respond to begin with. Serena appeared to have the answer while Bonnie sat by, carefully watching Rotom as she ate a snack.

"It's what we do to make ourselves closer with our Pokémon, in a way," Serena told Lillie. Ash found himself nodding with his girlfriend's explanation. "They grow stronger and we become closer, so when we try to achieve our dreams, we're even better than before."

"That sounds lovely," Lillie admitted with a laugh. When her laugh faded, she sat forward, slipping her feet back into her shoes, and laced her fingers. She looked rather contemplative for a moment, thinking and considering. "To be honest, I'm not a fan of battling or fighting or any of that. I don't like to watch Pokémon get hurt."

"But you watched Serena's Ceremony battle," Bonnie pointed out, having finished her snack and shared it with Dedenne. Ash frowned, thinking the young girl had a point as he looked at Lillie. The blonde fidgeted a little and Ash watched Serena step forward to place her hand on Lillie's, the slight contrast of their skin tones more evident now.

"That was different. They weren't battling to hurt one another but make everything look…beautiful…" Lillie said the last word like it left a bad taste in her mouth, yet she swallowed it down nonetheless. "I just…with Nebby and all of that, I don't want to see other Pokémon get hurt."

"We're not trying to hurt them, Lillie," Ash assured her. She looked up at him now, her green eyes shimmering with questions. "All of us are just working together. We feel a little pain maybe, but that drives us to work harder and get stronger. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pikapika," Pikachu agreed, nodding his head.

"Ash is right," Serena insisted. As she said so, she took her four pokeballs from her bag and tossed them into the air. Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon and Popplio all emerged happily, the three from Kalos turning to their new teammate. "All of us train and battle to step a little closer to our dream. We come from different places, and have different styles, I've noticed, but we still have that single bond. Right, Popplio?"

"Eeo!" Popplio expressed happily, slapping her flippers together. Serena walked over, looking down at her team.

"Everyone, this is our newest friend, Popplio. Together, we're going to achieve our dream!" Serena insisted to all of her partners. They all soaked in her words and cheered loudly. Ash smiled at the heartwarming scene of all of Serena's partners accepting the energetic Popplio so easily. Sylveon, in particular, seemed to greet the Sea Lion Pokémon with much affection, like they were automatic sisters.

Then Ash's smile dropped off.

_Dreams…_ he couldn't help but think. Ash turned away, looking towards the coastline and putting his hands in his pockets. Much as he tried, he couldn't shake Hala's question from his mind, one he still had yet to find the answer to.  _Why do I want to be a Pokémon Master…? Isn't it because I always have, and because I promised him I would. Isn't that a good answer?_

"Pikapi?" Pikachu questioned, though Ash only reached up to pat his partner on the head, not answering him. Somehow, even if the reason he had given was sound, Ash felt it wasn't quite right. He took a step forward, away from the group and down the hill they were traversing. No one went after him, allowing he and Pikachu to stand side by side as they watched the ocean waves and listened to the trees rustle in the wind.

"Pikachu, do you think we're ready to face Hala?" Ash asked. Pikachu tilted his head, almost like he was surprised that his partner was experiencing even a smidgen of self-doubt. "It's just…I don't think I can answer his question, you know? Like, before, when all these really great trainers would ask me questions, I could figure it out pretty quickly, but…"

"Pikapi, chu chu pika…" Pikachu stated, empathizing with him. Ash sucked in a breath and nodded.

"I know, buddy. I know we'll do it together," he said positively, affixing the smile back on his face. "Only…Hala's real strong, and we haven't managed Z-Moves yet. Is it because I can't answer his question…or is it something else?"

"Chu…" Pikachu stated, his ears drooping slightly. However, he quickly perked back up, touching a paw to Ash's face. "Pika pika chu chu!" Ash turned his head, looking straight at his longest partner and started to smile, nodding.

"Of course," he said, understanding just what his partner was getting at. "No time to think about it. We'll just have to give it our all! The more we train and battle, the closer we'll come to understanding all of it!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried triumphantly. Both trainer and Pokémon raised their fists to the air, clasping them as though they were reaching for the sun. It wasn't exactly an answer, but Ash felt it was good enough. The answers would come the more they stepped forward; life had proven that time and again. For now, he would give his all against Hala.

"Time for some training!" Ash yelled, grabbing his pokeballs and tossing them upwards. Greninja, Rowlet and Pikipek all appeared with a cry. "Okay, guys, we're going up against Hala, so we need to be extra careful."

"Ninja!" Greninja responded emphatically. Clearly, his memory from the last fight was still very strong in his mind. Over by where he'd left them (which really wasn't all that far to begin with), his friends turned their heads to watch him train.

"Great, we'll need to work on our speed and teamwork to overcome this challenge. If we beat Hala, it definitely means we've grown, so…Rowlet and Pikipek, show me your aerial maneuvers!"

"Kurrroh!"

"Pikee!" The two birds shot off, bending and weaving around one another. Meanwhile, Pikachu and Greninja appeared to have taken their own initiative with Greninja creating multiple copies of himself for Pikachu to ram through with a very speedy Quick Attack. For a moment, Ash considered a Z-Move, trying to bring out the power of Breakneck Blitz, but soon decided against it. He was going to try and beat Hala using his tried and true training methods of great strategies. All he had to figure out was a way around Hala's own Z-Move and Crabominable.

"Ah! No, Pipi! Catch it!"

"Pikapikapika!" cried a panicked voice. Ash watched Pikachu, thinking, for a very brief moment, that his partner was freaking out, but it quickly proved to not be the case. Pikachu appeared just as surprised by the sound, though he didn't stop, changing his direction to hit Greninja in the stomach before spinning around with an Iron Tail that was blocked with Cut. Pikachu leapt off and ran at Greninja before Ash saw something enter their training field.

"Pi...cha!" Pikachu cried as a malasada seemed to hit him straight in the face, causing him to fall over. Seconds later, something else appeared to impact with him, only this time it was familiar.

"Pipi chu?"

"Pika!" Ash stepped forward, indisputably recognizing the heart shaped tail of the Pikachu that was hugging Pikachu joyfully. Pikachu patted her kindly as the owner of the voice from earlier crashed from outside of the forest. Ash now turned to that and his face split into a grin, emulating the boy who had emerged.

"Did you get it, Pipi?" Hau asked, his lips upturned, but his eyes wide with question. He didn't see Ash immediately, but he noticed the two Pikachu, tilting his head, wondering. Pipi turned around, clutching the slightly dirty malasada. That's when Hau seemed to finally recognize the other Pikachu before him. "Hey, that's…"

"Alola, Hau," Ash said with grin and chuckle.

"Alola!" Hau responded in kind, waving his hands with carefree abandon. One of his wrists glittered in the sunlight and Ash focused in on it, noticing the very distinct shape of a Z-Ring now around the boy's arm. He didn't catch him looking, however, and had no time to as he was suddenly tackled by Bonnie.

"Yay! Hau, it's been a long time," the girl said energetically. Rotom was blearily floating along behind her. Trailing at a slower pace were Serena, Clemont and Lillie. Serena's Pokémon were right along with her.

"Not too long, I hope!" Hau said with a grin, leaning down and giving Bonnie a high five. The two continued to grin at each other, which quickly became rather infectious. "You guys have been doing well, apparently."

"We have," Serena greeted upon her approach. "How about yourself?"

"Me? I've been absolutely great. Isn't that right, Pipi?" Hau asked of his Pikachu, who had dusted off the malasada and was busy eating it, sharing some of the clean part with Pikachu. She turned and gave a salute with a full mouth. "Yep, me and Pipi and the others are all doing awesome. Just caught the newest addition to our little family, too!"

"Oh! Can I see?" Bonnie asked excitedly. Hau, reached down to his waist and pulled his pokeball, opening it. From the burst of light, Ash watched as a Munchlax appeared, still asleep after he emerged. Bonnie instantly ran for it and hugged it without thinking. Munchlax didn't wake up.

"That Munchlax seems to sleep more than the average species of Munchlax," Rotom noted. Hau didn't really seem to care, laughing a little.

"Yeah, but he's a real battler," the boy noted. "He was sleeping when I tried to capture him but then he nearly ate all of our malasadas and beat Pipi into a corner."

"Pi…" Pipi said sadly. Ash folded his arms and nodded, admittedly more intrigued by his Z-Ring than by anything else. However, he was willing to wait however long was needed, which quickly became longer a second later.

"Oh, hey, Lillie. Long time, no see!" Hau said energetically. Lillie gave a small wave back, prompting Bonnie to suddenly wear a mischievous little smile on her face. Ash and Serena shared looks from that; they knew all too well what it would start to mean when Bonnie looked like that. "You and Nebby been doing well?"

"We have!" Lillie insisted. Nebby popped out of his bag, giving a small "Pew" as greeting before disappearing to avoid Lillie's scolding. "I recently met Serena and the others and traveled with them. I got to see a Leilani Ceremony!"

"Aw, sweet!" Hau cheered, pumping both of his arms with a little jump. "That must've been real exciting, Lillie! I know you always wanted to see one. Was it lots of fun?"

"Definitely," Lillie assured him with a nod, her braids flying back and forth with a smile. Hau crossed his feet and put his hands behind his head, obviously pleased that Lillie was having some fun. Ash's eyes turned into a squint and he recalled Hau's words to him about a girl he really seemed to like. For a second, he thought that maybe Hau was talking about Lillie, but he quickly discounted it. All thoughts of it officially went out the window at Clemont speaking.

"It's always nice to meet people who know each other, huh?" Clemont said, chuckling just a little. "A bit surprised we've run into you."

"Yeah, I've been training and trying to catch a new member to the ohana," Hau told them, never losing his smile. Ash opened his mouth to ask about the Z-Ring on his wrist when he pushed it forward. "That and me, Pipi and the gang have been training real hard for Z-Moves since we beat my tutu just the other day."

"You already beat Hala?" Ash asked in surprise. For a sharp second, he felt the momentary pang of disappointment that he'd yet to have his battle with the Kahuna, but passed it off in favor of a smile. Hau grabbed his backpack and pulled out his own Trial Amulet. All of them leaned forward to see it shining in the sunlight. The first thing Ash noticed was the white wedge from Ilima's trial, but near the center, in one of the four circular spots, was a marble-shaped jewel, amber in color. It was clearly a symbol that Hau had defeated his grandfather in battle.

"Wow! Congratulations, Hau!" Lillie said, clapping happily. Her happiness bled over onto the others around her and Ash found himself feeling very pleased and happy for their friend. "You mentioned wanting to surpass your grandfather. It must have been amazing for the both of you."

"It sure was," Hau insisted, taking his things back and packing them away. "After I won, tutu fashioned me this Z-Ring and we've been practicing real hard. Still haven't quite gotten it yet, but we're getting there. And tutu made it look so easy in our battle against him."

"Yeah, his Crabominable was real tough when we fought him the first time," Ash noted, his own mind pulling to his impending battle with the Kahuna. Hau seemed to have been able to beat him, so he figured he would be able to, the two of them being as even as they were. Nevertheless, even with the tension of facing Hala again, excitement flushed through his veins.

"We didn't get the chance to face Crabominable," Hau explained, though he didn't seem all that disappointed about it. "But what about you guys? Leilani Ceremonies and stuff? Those all go well?"

"It did," Serena insisted. "I won the Kala'e Lei."

"She was  _amazing_!" Lillie blurted out, stepping just a little closer to Hau. The younger boy stopped his grinning, acting like he was going to reach out to catch the clumsy girl, but Lillie didn't fall over. Instead, her eyes were shimmering as she looked to her friend. "I've never seen a performance so beautiful!"

"Glad to hear it," Hau agreed. He finally seemed to reach out and pat her on her shoulder. She appeared to jump a little at it, but didn't lose her smile. Ash leaned back, happy to see the two friends smiling next to each other. Not that it stopped Bonnie from her mischievous grinning. The youngest girl moved around, as if she was going to push Lillie into Hau, but Clemont and Serena both seemed to catch her and pull her back before she could, allowing their small moment to go uninterrupted.

"So, er, Hau, what are your plans, then, since you defeated Hala and cleared your Grand Trial?" Clemont vocalized, finally breaking Hau and Lillie from their weird smiling session. Ash looked at his inventor friend, catching sight of Serena, who looked almost amused by it all.

"Planning on going to Akala next, of course!" Hau told them all energetically (as usual). Ash folded his arms in thought, briefly watching Hau's sleeping Munchlax and their two playing Pikachu before Rowlet and Pikipek landed on his shoulders. Hearing the name of the next island automatically got Ash thinking.

_Akala is where Gladion went._  Still, he shook his head to clear any thoughts not related to his battle against Hala from his brain. "Guess we'll meet there sooner or later, then."

"You're not heading there yet?" the sunny boy asked of Ash, finally turning away from Lillie to look at him. Ash shook his head.

"Nah, I've still gotta beat your grandfather," he told him. "We're heading back to Iki Town right now, actually."

"You are?" Hau asked. He turned around rapidly, looking at each of them in quick succession, as if to see if any one of them would say anything different than what Ash had just proclaimed. When no one contradicted him, Hau started to shake, closing his eyes. Ash genuinely thought the boy had gone mad as Pikachu and Pipi stopped gamboling along on the ground. "I have  _got_  to see this! A battle between my tutu and Ash? That's like the battle of the century!"

"I don't know about that…" Ash admitted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Hau just shook his head, trying to correct him.

"Akala can wait, you gotta let me watch your battle!" Hau said enthusiastically. As he did so, he took his pokeball and called back Munchlax. Ash stared at him, knowing he couldn't possibly refuse such an earnest request, though still being utterly surprised by it nonetheless. Whether he wanted to or not, however, his acceptance of Hau joining their ever-expanding group were cut across by Lillie.

"I would like to see the battle as well."

"Lillie?" Serena and Hau's voices piped up at the same time. Ash had to figure that Hau knew about the girl's aversion to fighting to have such a reaction. Lillie stepped away from Hau (briefly allowing Ash to remark in his brain about how they appeared to be the same age) and clasped her hands in front of her.

"I'm not a fan of battling or fighting, but since I supported Serena in her Ceremony, I'd like to support you as well," Lillie admitted, tacking a smile on at the end. Ash turned his head, meeting both Rowlet and Pikipek's gazes. Then he smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll learn a lot from this."

"Then maybe we should all stop standing around and talking about and maybe actually start walking back towards Iki Town," Bonnie suggested with a bored little sigh. They all stopped at the youngest girl's words, realizing just how long they had been talking. Even Rotom was busy twisting in midair, like it was trying to come up with a retort to Bonnie. Ash gave a little chuckle, scratching at his nose.

"Right, we should get going if I want to get to that Grand Trial by tomorrow!" Ash insisted, turning his scratching finger into a fist that he threw into the air. All of his Pokémon joined him in this action while Pipi returned to Hau. The boy kicked his feet up into the air with excitement.

"Awesome! This is gonna be one awesome battle!" With Hau officially joining their group (at least for the trip to Iki Town), and their break over, the group continued onward towards the forest that Hau had come from. Ash quickly slipped his hand into Serena's as Hau turned to Lillie, regaling the girl with tales of his own adventure.

"You'll be fine, Ash," Serena suddenly whispered to him as they stepped onto the forest path. Clemont nodded fervently from his other side; Bonnie was too busy merrily skipping ahead to Rotom's disgruntlement. "You always figure out a way to make it through."

Ash leaned over, feeling the need to kiss her on the cheek as thanks for speaking the truth he needed to hear. It put his mind at ease. However, as he stepped and helped Serena over a fallen log, he couldn't help but develop a sense of unease, like they were being watched. Greninja must have felt the same, considering their link sharing that feeling. Even Pikachu seemed wary, but as neither got defensive, Ash passed it off as nothing and continued onward, mind driving towards Hala.

* * *

The trip to Iki Town, as projected, took a further day of hiking through the forests and hills of Melemele as well as sleeping under the stars; something that Lillie seemed averse to at first but quickly warmed up to when Serena offered hers and Bonnie's tent. Granting, that was when Ash and Clemont learned something about Hau.

"I don't need a tent," the boy stated confidently, laying a sleeping bag out with he and Pipi flopping upon it. "I like to sleep under the moon and stars, and wake up to the sun."

"It would help to get an early start on training, I suppose," Clemont admitted, though he didn't seem to want to join him outside, retreating into the cover of his tent. Ash, on the other hand, had absolutely no problem with it, himself and Pikachu deciding to camp out alongside the boy. Rowlet and Pikipek were there as well, the former in his backpack and the latter resting on the tent quietly. Greninja had stalked to an edge of the campsite, watching both Ash and Serena's tent carefully. Ash wasn't sure why, but he had this strange feeling that part of it had to do with Braixen and Serena's other Pokémon all being there.

"You can be full of surprises, Hau," Ash admitted, staring up at the stars alongside his rival. Hau chuckled at that. "I kinda like that. Makes life exciting."

"Yeah, it does," Hau said before yawning. "Hey, Ash, what do you say we make things a little interesting? How about, sometime on Akala, you and me compete. Whatever it is. Tournament, catching, battling, trials. What do you say?"

"I think it sounds great," Ash agreed, reaching over to clasp the boy's hand in a promise.

"Sweet! To celebrate that rivalry, let's share a malasada." Hau sat up rapidly, grabbing his bag and pulling out the sweet treat for Ash to eat. He split it into four, popping the piece into his mouth whole. Ash did the same, him and Pikachu chewing furiously alongside their rival before falling back in content. "You know, it's real nice, having people to share malasadas with. I never had many friends in Iki Town before now…well, really before Lillie. I think they all found me annoying, but that didn't matter. Lillie was nice enough to like me for me!"

"I kinda get that…" Ash said, thinking back to his days in Pallet Town where his greatest friend was Gary before everything had gone sour. Now, though, he hardly thought about those days, not when he was surrounded and supported by such great friends and his girlfriend. "But don't worry, I'm your friend, and you'll make lots more."

"Totally! I can't wait to meet, befriend and battle more people and Pokémon on my Island Pilgrimage!" Hau shouted out, punching his hands to the stars. Ash laughed out beside him, especially so when he heard Hau snoring away peacefully mere seconds later. Deciding he, too, should get some sleep, Ash drifted off into an easy slumber, awakening when the first rays of sun beamed across the horizon at them.

The breakfast that followed was a very quick affair once everyone had managed to get up (here meaning Bonnie), and they were back on the short road to Iki Town. In fact, it was so short that only a few hours later, Ash could see the very familiar sight of the wooden buildings that made up one of his first visits in Alola approaching. Some people were loitering around outside the town, picking berries with their Pokémon, or otherwise enjoying nature as they came close. Ash noticed that it was a very different feel from the first time they had arrived in Iki Town.

"Alola!" Hau shouted exuberantly to two women standing outside the town gate. The two were chatting almost conspiratorially and seemed to have not heard Hau. He didn't mind and, with a grin, took Lillie's hand to bring her up the stairs into town. Clemont, Bonnie and Rotom trailed right after. Ash hung back a bit with Serena; not that he wasn't excited to get to his inevitable battle, but he felt…distracted.

After a second of looking around, he figured out why. Greninja was staring off towards the roof of a house they had passed. Ash followed his gaze and seemed to notice a glint on the rooftop. Greninja rotated his head, locking gazes with Ash. The raven-haired trainer frowned and shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be distracted by something that was likely nothing. Greninja seemed to agree and went running off towards the town quickly.

"Ash, are we going?" Serena asked. Ash hummed lightly to show that he was and aimed straight for the stairs. Looking back, he saw that the glint was gone, but now the occupant of his mind was replaced with some snippets of the conversation between the two women.

"…ull thugs are really getting restless lately," one of the women said, picking a berry absentmindedly off the tree.

"Why can't those troublemakers just mind their own business and head back to Po Town or wherever they're staying these days?" the other replied. Ash slowed his pace, confusing Serena, who stayed alongside him.

"They don't realize what losers they are. 'Biggest, baddest thugs around'? Give me a break."

"They're little more than thieves with too much time on their hands," the woman concluded definitively. "Well, I'll tell you, when my son grows of age, there's no way I'm not making sure he completes his Island Pilgrimage. I can't have him living the life of a thug."

"I hear that, sister. If that big group comes here, I'll whack them with my frying pan!"

"Guess Team Skull really aren't very liked here," Serena noted. The two of them finally began to proceed forward again, ignoring the laughter and still disparaging comments of the women they were leaving behind. "They _are_ Pokémon thieves, I suppose."

"Hmm…" Ash noted. Truthfully, he found it odd to see Pokémon thieves so laughed at, considering he never tried to really laugh at Team Rocket. Sure, they were nuisances, but nothing to really be laughed at…well, these days. Yet there was something about their words that struck him.  _They don't realize what losers they are._  Like it was a label saved for Team Skull, and Team Skull alone, in Alola. People who didn't amount to anything. It simply seemed…odd. "Well, whatever it is, time for my battle with the Kahuna!"

"A battle I've been looking for!" boomed an all too familiar voice across the town square. Ash was finally able to peel his mind's attention away from the women's conversation and over to all his other friends. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to see Hala there, a smile on his face. Nor was he surprised to see Ilima and Professor Kukui on the old man's porch. And if Kukui was there…

"Ruff! Ruff!" barked an enthused voice. Ash looked to see Rockruff running over to him. Serena detached herself as Rockruff bowled him and the others over happily, licking at all their faces in response.

"Guess it really has been a while, Rockruff. Good to see you again," Ash said, petting at the puppy's fur. Rockruff appeared to enjoy it based on her expression. The others all laughed a moment before turning to face Hala. Ash just put his attention to Kukui, sipping on a glass, as the practically shirtless man approached.

"Rockruff has been missing you, it would seem," the professor said. Ash sat up, scratching Rockruff behind the ears a moment before standing. "You ready for your Grand Trial?"

"You bet!" Ash assured him. He walked forward, approaching Hala, and all of his friends made way for him to do so. As he walked towards the Kahuna, he could swear he heard Kukui mentioning to Serena that they had managed to meet his assistant. Lillie gave no reaction at that, but stood next to Hau in utmost anticipation, clutching at her bag. "I'd like to battle you right away for my Grand Trial!"

"Ho ha!" Hala laughed out, his belly jiggling slightly. "I accept your challenge, Ash Ketchum! Ilima, would you mind refereeing?"

"My pleasure," called the polite man from the porch. Ash watched as he stood, stretching a little before making his way over to the town square. "I've been looking forward to this battle since your trial at the Verdant Cavern."

"Yes, you and Kukui can't seem to stop talking about it. Makes my blood race…" Hala added, a grin stretching his face with determination. Ash returned the look, breathing in. "These old bones have been aching for a true challenge."

"Hey, tutu, what about me?" Hau demanded. Hala opened an eye to look at his grandson.

"Yes, you're a fine battler, Hau, though perhaps still a little wet behind the ears," Hala boomed out with a chuckle. Hau's mouth dropped a little at the admission, causing Lillie to laugh and lift his jaw back up for him. Then he took what his grandfather had said in stride and simply placed his hands behind his head, uncaring. "I only have myself to blame for that, likely coddling you…so, how about we both see what a seasoned trainer like Ash can do?"

"That's the whole reason I came along, tutu," Hau insisted.

"Good. Good. Well, Ash, shall we get this Grand Trial started then?" Hala asked. Ash raised a fist and nodded. That was the prompting for Hala to move to the stage in the center of town, clomping up its wooden steps and moving to stand in the exact spot he had when they'd first arrived there. Ash took in a deep breath. He was back again; back for another battle against the imposing Kahuna.

"Serena, can you watch after Pikipek for me?"

"Not a problem," Serena said. Seconds later, the Woodpecker Pokémon had joined her on her shoulders. In fact, she seemed inspired by her presence as she called out Popplio from its own pokeball. Popplio turned, gazing at her from the ground. "Let's watch Ash's battle together, Popplio. We might not be able to pick up too many techniques, but we can try."

"Pahpah!" Popplio agreed. Kukui stroked his chin as he saw the sight of the Water type, but didn't comment on it.

"Do your best, Ash!" Clemont called out to him. Ash extended a fist into the air, indicating his intention to have a victory to the inventor. Bonnie, surprisingly, was more subdued, holding onto Rotom once again, who looked to be disappointed that Ash hadn't called him to the battlefield alongside the others. Lillie and Hau also gave smiles, thumbs up and a pumping of their fists to indicate they were rooting for him.

"Go, Ash," Serena said. It was so simple, but meant the world to him. Nodding, Ash sucked in a breath once more and walked towards the stage. As he did so, he noticed that his friends were no longer the only ones watching the entire affair. Townspeople appeared to be gathering, as though a battle against the Kahuna was a festival in and of itself. It made the whole entire affair feel special.

Ash finished approaching the wooden stage and walked up its steps to the top, standing inside the challenger's box. Pikachu stood alongside him while Greninja hung back. The townsfolk were almost completely gathered now, practically forming a circle of spectators around the stage. Hala looked at ease, proving that this was an entirely common occurrence for his Grand Trial. Ash scanned along the crowd towards his friends' cheering faces, including an exuberant Rockruff, who looked ready to emulate every move made. As he slowly brought his gaze back on Hala, he saw a near identical glint to the one before on a rooftop slightly down the hill, but passed it too quickly to identify it.

Then he felt it, a shock running through his veins. His and Pikachu's gazes snapped right over to the forest, and he could swear that two blue eyes were watching him through the brush. It was a feeling confirmed by Hala's booming laugh silencing the crowd as he wore a smirk. The aura was undeniable and the feeling palpable: Tapu Koko had come to watch. In the crowd below, none of the others seemed to feel it, though Lillie seemed to struggle to keep a hold on the energetic Nebby. Finally, Ash looked to Hala and nodded.

"Let the Melemele Grand Trial begin!" Ilima cried. However, instead of cheers rising through the crowd, an event similar to the Leilani Ceremony took place. All around them, the people of the town faced towards the road to Tapu Koko's shrine and bowed, their hands clasped in prayer. Hala was doing the same, and Ash quickly got the idea that he should as well.

"Tapu Koko, we ask your blessing on a good battle. May our cries of distant battles be pleasing to your ears," Hala said. Then he clapped his hands twice and straightened, grabbing a pokeball as he did. Considering the prayer over, Ash unclasped his hands and faced Hala. Ilima came as close to the stage as he deemed safe.

"The Grand Trial will be a three-on-three battle between Ash, the trial-goer, and Kahuna Hala," Ilima said to the restlessly silent crowd. "The trial will be over when all three Pokémon of either side are knocked out, and only the trial-goer is allowed substitutions. You may begin."

"Machamp!" Hala cried out, tossing the pokeball to the air. It emerged with its usual bright light, revealing the large and intimidating Machamp before him, flexing its muscles. Rotom escaped from Bonnie's arms to take pictures, but didn't come closer to the stage. "I have been looking forward to this since our first battle. I hope you can make these old bones give everything they have to give."

"We definitely will," Ash said, adjusting his hat before looking down at his best buddy at his feet. "You ready to kick this off?"

"Pi-kaaa!" Pikachu stated emphatically. Ash grinned and pointed forward.

"All right, then Pikachu, I choose you!" Pikachu stopped his posturing and leapt forward onto the battlefield, cheeks sparking. He wasn't intimidated by the foe before him, simply ready to begin the battle. "We'll take the first move! Quick Attack!"

"Pi!" Pikachu shouted before blasting right across the stage, leaving a bright trail of light behind him. Machamp stood there, merely shifting his foot while Hala did the same. Ash's eyes narrowed, wondering just what the Kahuna was planning to do. Then Pikachu hit, striking Machamp right in his chest, driving him back slightly across the stage.

"Vital Throw!" Hala boomed out. Machamp roared out, swinging his arm across in a clothesline fashion. Pikachu had yet to recover from the impact of his own attack and was caught by the arm before being slammed down onto the stage. The crowd appeared to wince at the sight of it, Pikachu skidding back. Ash noticed that none of his friends had reacted, other than clenching their fists a little tighter.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, attempting to not move from his spot. Behind him, Greninja continued watching his friend and partner get to his feet. Pikachu looked roughed up, but still more than ready to battle. His body swelled with electricity that he then sent soaring out into Machamp, consuming its entire body.

"Cross Chop," Hala grunted out. Machamp grinned, stalking forward, practically absorbing the Thunderbolt that was sent his way. Two of his arms glowed and he swung them both down.

"Block it with Iron Tail!" Pikachu ceased his electric attacks and stiffened his tail, the appendage glowing white before flipping up. The Cross Chop and Iron Tail met in midair, the white glow shining off of them with sparks. Pikachu struggled to maintain his hold. That's when Ash saw Machamp's other two arms glowing. "Ah, Electro Ball!"

"Now!" Hala cried at the exact same time, bringing his foot up and stamping it down.

"Macha!" Machamp cried and both of his open palms came down upon Pikachu like a pincer. Just before they struck, Ash managed to see Pikachu form his crackling orb of pulsing electricity and fire it straight into Machamp's face. The Superpower Pokémon's head snapped back a moment, but his other two glowing palms came striking down, slamming into Pikachu and knocking him back down onto the stage. Pikachu bounced across it from the force, and Ash could feel it actually tremble beneath his feet.

"Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked of his partner. Pikachu groaned and grimaced, but began to rise to his feet.

"Machamp is on a whole other level," Clemont seemed to say. Ash inclined his head a bit, watching Pikachu get up slowly. Hala wasn't wasting time, either. Machamp remained standing, but there was a faint, red aura around him. Ash easily recognized the move: Focus Energy. "I've seen Pikachu take down Pokémon like Metagross and go even with Mega Latios yet he's almost struggling with Machamp."

"I told you before, Hala isn't an ordinary trainer," Kukui chuckled out. Ash caught sight of the professor wearing a smirk and Ilima even seemed the same. "He's a  _Kahuna_. We in Alola take great pride and joy in our traditions and in our trainers. You'll not find a region stronger or more brimming with life than here."

"That's so true," Hau agreed. "My tutu has been training me for ages, and Machamp is one of his best. Took everything I had to beat him as his last Pokémon."

"Then Ash will be able to do the same," Serena said confidently. Ash chuckled under his breath, moving his hat a little. He could always count on her to give him an encouraging word no matter the situation. Pikachu seemed emboldened by her words as well.

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu said, rising up and glaring towards Machamp.

"Good as new!" Ash said, clenching his fist and holding it up. "Time for another Quick Attack!"

"Counter with Cross Chop," Hala said with his usual confidence. Pikachu bounded off in seconds, his feet moving all too quickly across the wooden surface, aiming right for Machamp, all four of his arms glowing once again. At the last second, Pikachu rammed upward, colliding with the arms. Machamp stumbled back on his feet, but Pikachu was blown away by the impact between the two attacks.

Ash grit his teeth. Pikachu could barely land a successful strong hit on Machamp without taking damage in return. What he needed was a way to get Machamp off balance in order to strike back…which meant hitting him with force from afar. "Pikachu, come on back, buddy."

"Pi." Pikachu returned to Ash's side as he took a breath. The others off the stage were all watching him curiously, though none of them could match the skeptical, one eye open, expression that was on Hala's face.

"Okay, time for a different strategy. Rowlet, I choose you!" Ash called, pointing to the center of the field. From inside his backpack near his feet, Rowlet shot out, practically spinning in midair as he came to a flutter in the middle of the stage. Popplio clapped at the side of the stage, apparently enjoying Rowlet's theatrics. "We've gotta be careful, Rowlet. This isn't like the Gumshoos we faced before, okay? Hala's way stronger, probably one of the strongest I've ever faced."

"Kuu!" Rowlet agreed, wearing a stern expression as he faced Machamp. Two of Machamp's arms were raised, flexing his fingers as if to indicate for Rowlet to come and get him.

"Then Rowlet, use Pluck!" Rowlet snapped his wings to his side, beak glowing a bright blue and he instantly made to divebomb at Machamp.

"Prepare yourself," Hala said. Machamp's foot shifted position a little and his arms came to a certain resting point. Ash grinned; Hala was actually reacting just the way he'd hoped. Rowlet streaked forward.

"Spin into the attack," Ash ordered calmly, continually watching Machamp for any changes in movement. Rowlet began to whirl, blue streaks coming off of his beak as he drew closer. Then he noticed it, the change in wind that came with Long Reach. Machamp started to buckle and Hala raised an eyebrow. Then Pluck struck with its force ahead of Rowlet, drilling into Machamp's midsection. "Break off!"

"Vital Throw!" Machamp's arms lunged forward, hoping to hit Rowlet in the same way that Pikachu had been struck earlier. It wasn't the case, however, as Rowlet did as Ash commanded, breaking off from the attack to flit just above Machamp's reach.

"Now, use Tackle!" Rowlet's talon extended, kicking straight down on Machamp with force. Part of the wooden stage splintered a little, causing Ash's eyes to momentarily focus on the area just beneath Machamp's feet. That small moment was enough for Hala to give his next command. Two of Machamp's arms shot out, catching Rowlet by the wings and holding him in place for the third, glowing palm to come slamming in, knocking Rowlet to the ground.

"Rroh…" Rowlet gasped out, but seemed to roll himself to a standing position. From that singular Cross Chop, Rowlet was already looking exhausted.

"Ash's strategy is good, but he'll need more than that to beat Hala," Kukui's voice came to him. Bonnie appeared to turn right towards the professor with puffed cheeks.

"Ash always figures out a way to take them down! He'll win against Machamp, you'll see," she insisted to the older man. Rockruff barked out her agreement, causing Kukui to hold his hands up in defense. The man was right, though: simply pelting the enemy with attacks from afar wasn't going to net him the win, certainly not with Rowlet's seemingly low endurance.

"Then we find another way," Ash said, grinning. Already, the idea was in his mind. "Rowlet, use Leafage!"

"Kurrr!" Rowlet chirped out, flapping back up into the air. A whirlwind of leaves appeared as he flapped upward, soon becoming a cyclone that encapsulated Machamp. Neither Hala nor his Pokémon were fazed however, simply waiting to see what Ash would do. Ash didn't need to say anything, though, not for a combination that he and Rowlet had used and practiced. Like a phantom, Rowlet vanished, diving into the leaves. Machamp turned his head now, looking for the little owl, lost amongst the foliage.

"Now, get 'im!" Ash commanded, bringing his closed fist down. Machamp turned once more before finally being hit back, slammed by the invisible force from the invisible Tackle. He turned yet again, only to be hit from a different side, and then another. Rowlet was making a veritable barrage of attacks, and with the Leafage obscuring him nicely from view, he was safe from harm.

"Cross Chop, but wait for it…" Hala said. Machamp brought all four of his arms into an attack-ready stance, each one of them glowing. Rowlet flitted past, almost like a shadow, but Ash had briefly caught sight of him. That meant Hala likely had as well. "Now!"

"Champ!" Machamp cried, swinging all four in Rowlet's direction.

"Blow yourself upwards with Leafage!" Ash quickly ordered as a counter command. Rowlet gave a tremendous flap of his wings, pushing himself into the air above Machamp, while at the same time causing the leaves to cut all around Machamp's body, the Cross Chop missing entirely. "Now, use Pluck from right above!"

"Roh!" Rowlet quickly agreed before streaking downward. His blue beak instantly made contact with Machamp's head and Ash's eyes flitted down. The stage had splintered further. His plan was very good…

…but not good enough.

"Ice Punch!" Hala commanded. One of Machamp's arms flew upward toward the unsuspecting Rowlet with tremendous speed, brimming with an absolutely frigid aura. Then it hit Rowlet. Ash flinched. Rowlet flew high into the air, spinning aimlessly before falling to the stage, clearly fainted.

"Rowlet is unable to battle! Machamp is the winner!" Ilima called, his hand indicating that Hala had just won that particular round. Ash quickly ran further onto the stage, bending down to grab his brave Pokémon.

"You did a great job, Rowlet," Ash said, patting him on the head. "We'll get him next time. For now, why don't you take a rest?"

"Koooo…" Rowlet expressed dozily. Ash returned to his backpack and placed Rowlet against it. Pikipek quickly flew up to them, a Sitrus Berry in her mouth, which she dropped at Rowlet's side, briefly pecking him to show that she thought he'd done an admirable job. Rowlet hooted in thanks.

"All right, Pikachu, I've got a plan that'll turn this battle in our favor," Ash told his most trusted partner. Pikachu grinned, having regained some energy from his opening skirmish with Machamp and dashing onto the field. "Use Quick Attack to dash around the stage."

"Pika pika!" Pikachu called and he, like usual, sped off. Instead of aiming for Machamp, he instead emulated his performance against Gladion, turning at the last second to shoot off in a different direction, confusing Machamp.

"Now, use Electro Balls to batter Machamp!"

"Chu pi!" Pikachu confirmed. He raised his tail as he ran, the orb of electricity being summoned before flinging off. The stationary Machamp was hit by it, but Pikachu wasn't done. He had summoned another one, and then another. With every change in direction, Pikachu was flinging off another Electro Ball.

"Focus Energy!" Hala cried. Machamp's body once more glowed red. Adjusting his hat, Ash sighed in relief. He had made Hala fall into the trap. His friends looked worried, especially Lillie and Serena, who were clasping their hands together, but Ash knew he had a shot at pulling through.

"Use Iron Tail around the stage," Ash said. Pikachu stopped his assault of Electro Balls to make his tail glow white. Machamp was too busy getting pumped up with Focus Energy that he didn't make a move. As he did so, Pikachu continued his dash around the stage, now periodically hitting it with Iron Tail, causing more and more splinters to appear around it. They were just about ready to make this battle theirs.

"Ice Punch!" Hala called. It wasn't quite the move that Ash had been expecting, but one he would make use of nonetheless.

"Dodge it!" Pikachu ceased his Quick Attack and jumped back, just as Machamp's freezing fist slammed into the stage. Ice covered the field from the strike, making the splinters all the more evident and turning the wood brittle. "Now jump up and use Iron Tail from above!"

"Chu….pika!" Still trailing off the speed from his Quick Attack, Pikachu managed to spring upward with his tail, flipping above Machamp as his Iron Tail activated once more. He spun, and brought it crashing down on Machamp.

_Crack!_  came the sound Ash was waiting for. All around Machamp's feet, the wood broke and splintered, causing the stage to cave in on itself. Machamp fell, but Pikachu, who had clearly expected it, kept his balance. Ash nodded to his partner with a grin and electricity shot out from Pikachu's cheeks in a consuming Thunderbolt that radiated through the entire area. Wind blew, trees rustled, and the tingling sensation of electricity could be felt. Ash wondered if Tapu Koko could feel it, too. Then, just as it had started, it ceased.

"Machamp is unable to battle. Pikachu is the winner!" Ilima announced calmly.

"Yes!" Lillie said, loudly enough to be heard, though she looked embarrassed to have said so. Hau laughed at her expression and she lightly slapped him on the shoulder. It reminded Ash a lot of how Serena would sometimes act towards him, at least a little.

"Now they're even," Bonnie cheered, bending down to pick up Rockruff, who was barking very enthusiastically. Serena lowered her hands from their clasped position; however, Clemont continued to look concerned.

"The battle's not over yet. Pikachu's still taken damage, and Hala has two Pokémon left…" the inventor said. Ash looked towards him. He could see the admiration in Clemont's eyes, mixed in with the warning. He was absolutely right, of course. Hala was ahead, and he'd yet to call for Crabominable  _or_  use his Z-Move. Ash was definitely on the backfoot for this fight.

_So…this is what fighting an Elite Four level trainer feels like…_ he couldn't help but think. Pikachu turned his head back, pumping his fist a little to show he was still in the game. Hala, meanwhile, called back Machamp and reached for yet another pokeball. Ash sucked in yet another breath and faced forward. The real fight was truly beginning now.

"Hariyama, it's time."

"Yama!" Hariyama bellowed loudly, slamming its large orange hands together. Pikachu didn't waver from the gust of air that resulted, merely crouching further to prepare for the fight. Hala made the first move.

"Arm Thrust!" Hariyama stepped forward, his fists glowing an even brighter orange color as he punched forward. The single gust of air that resulted made a piece of wood fly forward and pound into Pikachu, who flew backwards and up into the air. Hariyama readied its next round of the Arm Thrust.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu seemed to tumble through the air, but righted himself in order to send a searing bolt hurling right at Hariyama amongst the wrecked remains of the stage. It impacted powerfully, creating an explosion that blew through the area. Only, Ash didn't feel the gust of wind just hit his front, but his side as well, something he found strange. Pikachu landed at the same time and turned in that direction.

Actually, everyone was turning in that direction, because Ash hadn't been the only one to feel that. It wasn't hard to see why. Shingles of a roof were flying off as four individuals suddenly landed in a smoking heap in Iki Town's square. Ash and his friends recognized them immediately.

"Team Rocket!" Serena called to the four that were there, and Ash could certainly note the very colorful appearance before them. James was faceplanted into the ground while Meowth and Wobbuffet struggled to get up from under Jessie's weight, the magenta haired woman rubbing her bottom. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting blasted off into Twerpdom, apparently," Jessie said viciously. James managed to raise his head, looking dazed. Ash stepped slightly off the stage, angry about his battle with Hala being interrupted. The Kahuna, himself, didn't look too happy about it either.

"We were just minding our own business, waiting for the twerp to tire out his Pokémon," James insisted. Ash scowled; as always, Team Rocket couldn't go without trying to steal Pikachu. Even after all they had been through together, the perennial trio (or quartet…he wasn't sure) always caused problems, persistently following after him. "But then we got attacked by…"

"Well, well, Master Hala," a new and booming voice cut across James' explanation. It was most certainly one that Ash had never heard before, deep and almost gravelly, but with just a touch of childish impetuousness underneath it all. Ash couldn't quite see the man to whom it belonged, covered up by the crush of the crowd. "Looks like you got some trash problems. Thought I'd clean it up real good, ya know?"

"Guzma…" At Hala's insidious voice, the crowds appeared to part, and Ash got a look at the man that he seemed to call Guzma. He was a taller man, though seemed short from the way that he was holding his body. It fit him, weirdly enough, thanks to his baggy pants and open jacket, all of it being black on white. In fact, black on white was the easiest way to describe the man named Guzma, including his hair, which looked like an eternal case of bedhead. The only thing not black or white about him were his sunglasses, rimmed with gold, along with the necklace (also gold) shaped in the style of a very familiar emblem. "Why are you here? You're interrupting a Grand Trial!"

"So I heard…" Guzma said, walking forward slowly. He approached the still recovering forms of Team Rocket and stood over them, looking down with disdain. "Heard there was some real hotshot takin' part in the Island Trials. Well, you know me, your boy Guzma had to see it for himself, 'specially when some of my boys came cryin' back to me."

"You never were one to care much for traditions," Hala snapped at him. Ash didn't look at the man, yet could hear the inflection in his voice. Hala was…angry. Guzma, from what Ash could see, didn't seem all that different.

"Traditions like prayin' to crusty ol' Totems and men? Count me out," Guzma said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You can keep yer traditions, Master Hala. I just came to see what the kid who made all the fuss was about. Don't look like much."

"Always blustering, Guzma," Kukui's voice said. The rest of the crowd had gone silent, allowing him to be heard, and Ash could see that each of his friends had stepped back from the professor, looking tense. Lillie, in particular, seemed to have shrunk behind Hau, who held his hand out. He wondered if this Guzma was one of the "bad guys" she had mentioned, but as he didn't appear to recognize her, Ash guessed it wasn't the case. He did notice some movement further into the town and on the rooftops, however. His gaze, though, was stuck on Guzma, who turned to Kukui with a scowl.

"Kukui, didn't notice ya there," Guzma said, stalking forward, his hands in his pockets. "How's the research? Still beating yerself senseless like an idiot?"

"Oh, I couldn't possibly match the level of idiocy  _you_  get up to, Guzma," Kukui laughed out. That seemed to do it for the white-haired man, who drew up to what seemed to be his full height, matching the professor eye for eye. "Tell me, what have your thugs in Team Skull been doing lately?"

"You talkin' down to me, Kukui?" Guzma said, getting up into the man's face with his scowl. Kukui didn't flinch at all. "Let me remind you that you're no captain, either."

"True, but it's not like I didn't have a choice. I didn't quit my-"

"Shut yer mouth!" Guzma snapped, and Ash had to admit that for some of his more comical way of speaking…he could certainly appear frightening. This was best exemplified by Clemont grabbing Bonnie while he held to two of his pokeballs. Serena, meanwhile, was fingering one of her own pokeballs while Popplio looked between her and the man. "Look at you and Master Hala, thinkin' yer all high and mighty. Let's add Akela to that list, too. Just because you were the favored children. You think yer betta than me?"

"Hey!" Ash finally yelled. Guzma looked up, away from Professor Kukui. "Who are you and why are you interrupting my battle?"

"So…" Guzma said, the scowl dropping off, replaced with a smirk. He shoved Kukui aside, the other man doing nothing but watching as he approached the stage. Pikachu and Greninja closed ranks, as if in defense of Ash, despite knowing he could handle himself. "This is the guy? Yer just a baby…"

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," Ash said defiantly, as if correcting him. "I'm here for my Grand Trial, which you're interrupting."

"Grand Trial, huh? Island Pilgrimage, yeah?" Guzma said, allowing himself a small chuckle as he placed his hands on his hips. "Tryin' to make somethin' of yerself, right? Trust me, ya little brat, you ain't nothin'."

"What does that mean?" Ash challenged the man. Guzma smirked again and turned right around, waving his hands flippantly, dismissively. He walked back to where Team Rocket was and Ash noticed a Pokémon there, one he'd certainly never seen before. Had the situation not been seemingly fraught with tension, he would have asked Rotom to scan it, but even Rotom was quivering behind Clemont.

"I wanted to see what this real strong trainer with the Greninja looked like!" Guzma shouted out. More noises were heard in the town and the surrounding area, and Ash could finally see people moving about. No, not just people…members of Team Skull. "But instead I get a little twerp struggling with Master Hala? Talk about a disappointment for your boy Guzma."

"Hey, no one is allowed to call the twerp a twerp but us!" Jessie snapped at Guzma. Guzma just looked down at her, and without a moment's hesitation, brought his hand down on her head, pinning her there. He leaned forward.

"Losers don't get to talk," he said, his voice now taking on a menacing quality. "And you're the losers…not me, ya hear? I ain't got time to play with a little boy, but I don't mind deliverin' some punishment for hurtin'  _my_  boys."

"You'll do no such thing!" Hala yelled out at Guzma. The man ignored him, turning around with a little grin on his lips. Ash readied himself for a battle, as behind him, Rowlet appeared to have recovered from his earlier bout. "This is sacred land, Guzma, and you'll not dishonor Tapu Koko in such a way."

"But I thought Tapu Koko loved a good fight," Guzma said. Ash blinked, remembering the words he had heard that night; the ones Tapu Koko seemed to have spoken into his head. He shook it, focusing back on Guzma. "Hey, I got an idea, how about I be the twerp's Grand Trial, show him who's really below a totem."

"I'll pass," Ash said coldly. He didn't like the way this man was talking down to him, mocking him, making him look like he was a loser in front of everyone…in front of Serena. Not that she thought so, judging by her body language, but he didn't appreciate the treatment. Guzma's grin widened.

"That so? Shame, kid…" he chuckled out before his eyes lit up. "Ya know what, your boy Guzma's got a great idea. Iki Town would make a great base on Melemele Island. Whaddya say, boys?"

"All right, Big Boss Guzma's got a plan!"

"The boss always knows what he's doing!" It was like they were sudden weeds that sprung up out of nowhere: in the town, on the roofs, climbing up the hills. In a matter of seconds, the entirety of Iki Town seemed to be crawling with the thugs from Team Skull. Ash was pretty sure he even recognized the two from the Berry Farm. The cries of townspeople suddenly surrounded them.

"Team Skull? How did they get in here?"

"Guzma…" Hala boomed out angrily. "What do you plan to do here?"

"Nothin' much, Master Hala. Just teachin' a few lessons," Guzma said, cracking his knuckles. The unfamiliar Pokémon near him stepped forward, breathing in an all too creepy fashion. "Besides, I kinda think Iki Town would be an awesome base for Team Skull on the island, don't you? Only problem is that it's a little too beautiful to me. Needs to have a little more edge and Team Skull flair…"

"So, ya wanna see what destruction looks like, kid? 'Cause it's right here in human form, and I'm gonna show it to ya when I make this town mine. After all, I'm your boy Guzma!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: What? Ash's battle with Hala is interrupted? ! How many saw that coming? No, seriously. How many of you? Of course, having it be interrupted was something important because…well, it's your boy Guzma. And yes, Guzma is obviously important. None of this waiting until the final arc kicks off to make the main villain important that the anime likes to pull (despite my eternal love for Flare). Guzma is here, and he's important beyond belief. You probably got a glimpse of it already right here.
> 
> As for the other aspects of the chapter, yes, Ash is struggling to find meaning for some things and he's definitely having a difficult time against an Elite Four caliber trainer. Also, surreptitious shipping for this story in general here. Next chapter will be very exciting. I hope you'll enjoy it.
> 
> This journey has gotten off to a pretty great start, so please travel it with me. In the meantime, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	13. A Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to (again) clear up a misconception: yes, Ash has faced Elite Four members before, however, this is the first time he's had to face one at that level not in a skirmish or test battle but as something serious to move forward…kind of. Wanted to make that clear for you guys. But enough of that! Time for Chapter 13!

Chapter 13

A Lesson

Guzma. In just a few short minutes, the man, with his Team Skull regalia and baggy clothes, and his name had seared themselves into Ash's mind. He couldn't explain exactly what it was that made it so, though he had to guess that a large part of it had to do with the man outright interrupting his Grand Trial. More than that, however, was that he wasn't alone.

Team Skull was there. A whole lot of them.

"Pikachu, Greninja, get ready for anything," Ash muttered to his partners. Rowlet and Pikipek seemed to hear him as well, tensing up near his shoulders. Down past the stage, Popplio had hopped out of Serena's arms with a fierce expression. For a Pokémon that had just joined her team, it was remarkably ready for action. Certainly a good fit. The others around him also seemed to be on high alert, including the townsfolk. While they seemed surprised by the sudden occupation from Team Skull on their roofs and hills, a number of them already had Pokémon by their side. So, too, did the bad guys in front of them.

"Guzma, you impetuous fool!" Hala roared, his voice echoing over the hills and mountains. Ash almost wondered if they would have heard him over in Hau'oli City. He was certain they would probably feel the tremors from the Kahuna stepping off the stage and slamming his foot down powerfully. Guzma didn't flinch and continued to smirk in the older man's direction. "You never learn, do you?"

"I was never a very good student," Guzma chuckled out, flexing his fingers a little.

"That's the truth," Kukui said. At his feet was Rockruff, growling at the leader of Team Skull menacingly. Guzma ignored him, still keeping his gaze between both Hala and Ash. It made Ash tense up, and Greninja even more so, given the vibes he was getting from him.

"No, you never were…" Hala sighed out. "Always running off instead of doing what was expected. You never took training or education seriously."

"Enough of this talk, Master Hala," Guzma snapped, wearing the rather unattractive scowl on his face once more. "I didn't come here to battle you or talk 'bout old times. I came for this kid."

"Why?" Serena snapped defiantly. Ash was surprised to hear her speak up for just a moment before realizing that it all made sense. She'd had enough of people targeting them, and she was no longer afraid to say so. Guzma didn't look to her as he answered her query.

"'Cause I want to see what Island Challengers are like these days," Guzma answered, the scowl transforming to a smirk. Ash clenched his fist, looking the older man right in the eye.

"There are plenty of those," Serena shot back. "Go bother someone else."

"Nah, I like this one," the man chuckled out. Ash narrowed his eyes, incapable of comprehending just why Guzma would be so interested in him. So he stared at the man, trying to discern his true intention behind things as Hala stepped forward with Hariyama, every single one becoming like a shuddering earthquake of fury. "And I like the town. Ain't that right, boys?"

"Yeah!" the Team Skull members all called out to their boss, each of them sending more and more Pokémon out. It was like an occupying army, practically, all setting their eyes on taking the town or razing it to the ground.

"No…" Hala said with as much authority as Ash thought he would ever hear. This time, Guzma appeared to take his attention away from Ash and onto Hala. When he did, Ash thought, for just the briefest of seconds, that he felt a longing coming from the man. "You will do no such thing. This is  _not_  your town. This is  _not_  your island."

"It ain't no one's island, Master Hala, but I'm sure as hell gonna make it mine, and damn if yer gonna stop me."

"You little brat!" Hala now roared and even Kukui took a step back, as though afraid of the older man's current disposition. Ash could admit that it was frightening, something that even Clemont and Serena appeared to share in the moment. Hau also looked scared while Lillie continued to step back, fading into the crush of the crowd in fear. And if Hau was scared of his own grandfather's demeanor, Ash knew it was something to take seriously. "You disrespect the Pilgrimage. You disrespect our customs, our deities and our very people and Pokémon. You will not disrespect this town that raised you and your miserable self, Guzma!

"I will not let Iki become another Po Town to the likes of you and your ilk!"

"Whatcha gonna do about it, Master Hala?" Guzma asked confidently. Ash found himself riveted between the two men, each in a standoff that was sending incalculable waves over the crowd. It was full of tension, like waiting for a hammer to fall. In the few seconds before it did, Ash's eyes moved at rapid speed, locking gazes with each of his Pokémon before placing them back on Guzma. There was something between these two standing there before him, something both of them had clearly chosen to never speak of. Hala's foot moved, Guzma's arm shifted and Ash's Pokémon closed ranks.

"Team Skull…get 'em."

"That's the way, yo! Tear Iki Town apart!" yelled one of the grunts from atop the roof Team Rocket had clearly been on before. He followed it with a whooping sound that echoed across all of the town. There was a rustling in the trees leading to the Mahalo Trail and a shrill, yet familiar, cry.

"Braixen, come and help out! Popplio, fight with me?" Serena asked, tossing her pokeball to the air. Clemont did the same as both Luxray and Grubbin emerged. Pipi leapt from Hau's shoulder, looking very enraged as he tossed out a pokeball that contained a familiar, yet not quite the same, Litten. It seemed to have a sack of fire on its chin and pawed at the ground with a ferocious roar. Ilima appeared to have broken his rather calm demeanor, too, calling out a Smeargle.

"Pop!" Popplio agreed, just as chaos began to erupt around Iki Town. Zubat appeared overhead, sending Supersonic waves raining down, while various Rattata and other Pokémon that Ash didn't recognize populated the town at large. The Rattata appeared to aim right for the vegetation while a different species sent flames roaring at a nearby house.

Finally, Ash stepped forward.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! And Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Ash ordered, anger filling him. Pikachu leapt off the stage and aimed a powerful Thunderbolt right for a clustered group of Zubat. It struck, exploding in midair. Meanwhile, Greninja tossed his liquid throwing stars at a group of marauding Yungoos that seemed to be surrounding Team Rocket.

"Thanks, twerp," Jessie seemed to say. "Now we can fight back. Gourgeist!"

"You, too, Crabrawler!" James called. The two of them calling their Pokémon out seemed to have done the trick instantly. Just as Team Skull's Pokémon had begun attacking the town, Team Rocket's cry to fight back spurred the people of Iki Town to move.

"Butterfree, Silver Wind!" one of them called. A Butterfree flew forward, though it wasn't alone, a whole troupe of them hitting the Rattata off of their foods. They were quickly replaced, especially as some of the Team Skull thugs on the roofs jumped down to ground level.

"Popplio, use Bubblebeam!" Serena called. Popplio reared back and from her nose fired a large stream of bubbles. Unlike the Bubblebeam that Ash was used to from Dawn's Piplup, these seemed to be more solid, consuming and enveloping a couple Yungoos before popping and leaving them scattered on the ground. The two were definitely a good fit, with Serena calling for a Flamethrower.

"Grubbin, wrap them up with String Shot, and Luxray, Wild Charge!" Clemont called. It was like there was a sudden "on" switch for all of them. Mere minutes ago would have seen them simply enjoying the journey, if still fighting a fierce battle. Now, however, it felt like those traits that had lain dormant in them for months were back to the surface without even a second thought to give. It was time for them to fight a battle. "Bonnie, stay behind me so you won't get hurt. Dedenne, protect her."

"Dene," Dedenne said seriously, sounding (surprisingly) alert instead of asleep.

Realizing that they could all handle themselves, Ash jumped off the stage, coming to stand by Hala's side as Guzma stared them down. Off to the side, Kukui was commanding Rockruff alongside Ilima and his Smeargle, though he seemed to be fingering a different pokeball. Guzma raised his hand, bending his finger as if to tell Ash to come at him.

"Ash needs to be careful," whispered a voice at his side. Ash turned to see that Rotom was floating near his backpack, having escaped to it somehow. "Rotom identifies that Pokémon as Golisopod, a Bug and Water type. It is powerful."

"Damn straight," Guzma said. Rotom zipped around and went straight into Ash's backpack. There was no guess why; Guzma was giving off an all too intimidating and threatening aura. Ash wasn't one to back down, especially with the man outright challenging him. Hala took it as an invitation.

"Arm Thrust!" Hala roared angrily. He and Hariyama ran forward at the same moment, both punching forward. Golisopod gave off a scratchy shuddering before leaping back. It was surprisingly nimble for being so large. Guzma, on the other hand, took Hala's punch to his stomach head on, barely even moving.

"Come on, Master Hala, ya seem to have gotten weaker in old age," Guzma chuckled out as Hala retracted his open palm back. "It takes more than that to defeat your boy Guzma!" With his taunts, Guzma made his own move, his fist coming up from under him.

Ash acted on instinct, his and Greninja's bodies moving without thinking. Pikachu hung back, wincing from the damage caused through the battle with Hala. As Greninja summoned a Cut, blasting away some more Yungoos, Ash intercepted Guzma's punch with his own hand before instinctively punching upwards and nailing the older man in the stomach. He stumbled back. Around them, the Pokémon and other trainers appeared to have disappeared, having taken their battle to other quadrants of the square.

"Brat's got some fight in 'im, after all," Guzma chuckled out. He righted himself, cracking his knuckles with a grin as he stared down Ash. Hala reached forward, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. The raven-haired trainer didn't look up at the man, preferring to keep his eyes on the leader of Team Skull. Beyond him, Clemont seemed to have gone back to back with James, something which was different but not all too surprising. The blue-haired man's Crabrawler was rapidly clicking his claws.

"This is not your fight, Ash," the Kahuna spoke, his voice rumbling. "We of Iki Town will deal with this childish upstart."

"You're wrong," Ash said. He didn't want to outright refute the man, but he wasn't going to let these kinds of actions just go. Pikachu came up near his feet, growling menacingly at Guzma. "This  _is_  our fight. You helped us out and were kind, but he wants to get in the way of all that. So, let us help."

"Kid's got some sense of justice. Interestin'," Guzma laughed out. His Golisopod stalked forward, still making its creepy breathing sound. Greninja leapt back from his battle against the Yungoos, staring Golisopod down. "So, you really wanna tangle with your boy Guzma, the hated boss that beats you down and beats you down and never lets up?"

"If anyone's getting beaten, it's you," Ash challenged the man, putting both of his fists up. Guzma threw his whole body back to laugh.

"You're all piss and vinegar, ain't ya, kid?" Guzma said before finally snapping back with a feral grin. His eyes were shining, threatening, as he stared straight at Ash. Once more, the Kanto native felt a certain, strange connection with the man; something that sat in his eyes. It was eerie and unsettling, and certainly not something that Ash liked to see. "What's yer game, huh? Why you wanna help this town?"

"I already told Hala," Ash insisted. Guzma nodded a bit before folding his arms. Around them, the residents of Iki Town were fighting back against Team Skull. Some trees had toppled over and other houses were burning or had their roofs destroyed. It was a sight of carnage, if not nearly close to the level of what had once happened in Ancien City.

"Yeah, yeah, 'they're my friends I wanna help 'em' sounds great, but what about  _you_ , kid?" Ash blinked, unsure of what the older man was asking. Not that it mattered much. There was a sharp cry before Ash could give any sort of answer. Guzma didn't look away from Ash, but said boy turned his head to the side a little. Lillie was visible, on her own, with two members from Team Skull bearing down at her. Ash wanted to open his mouth and call out to her, but Serena was already on the move, it seemed.

"Popplio, use Disarming Voice!" Ash was surprised at how well she already knew her Pokémon's strength, considering the way that Popplio fired the bright hearts from a distance, the loud noise distracting Team Skull and bowling them over. Lillie was freed from their grasp, almost dropping to her knees, but not. In fact, she looked more panicked than ever when she checked over her bag. Ash's eyes widened.

"Look, ya gonna stand there all day like some dumb Magikarp, or what?" Guzma asked. Ash shook his head, attempting to return to who was in front of him. "Enough of this. Golisopod, First Impression."

"Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered, trying to no longer be distracted. Golisopod was on the move, all of its appendages and jaw glowing a sickly green as Greninja approached with his bright white limbs. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Chuuuuuu!" Pikachu cried automatically, sending a Thunderbolt at Golisopod. The Pokémon staggered, enough for its attack to miss Greninja, who flipped upward and slammed his limbs onto its head. Golisopod shook its head, but otherwise looked completely fine, if annoyed that its attack hadn't landed.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Guzma said, once more cracking his knuckles. "Come on, brat, show me what an Island Challenger is all about. Show me what ya can do."

"Fine, Greninja, use Cut!" Ash ordered, throwing his hand out. Guzma didn't move from his spot, something which unnerved Ash. Greninja raced forward, his white blades summoned to his hands as he ran for Golisopod.

"X-Scissor," Guzma said and he took off. Golisopod crossed its claws and raced forward. Both trainer and Pokémon moved together, and as Golisopod's X-Scissor met with Greninja's Cut, so, too, did Guzma make contact with Ash. He blocked, but the force of Guzma's punch forced him backwards, into Hala. "Come on, put up a fight! Or are ya that weak? I don't got time to waste with someone who don't realize what he's even doin'."

"I'm just fine!" Ash retaliated, not liking the way Guzma continually talked down to him. Even beyond that, he didn't like the way this man was questioning him; like he was trying to be as sagely as Hala, but lacked the grace. Pikachu jumped into the space between Ash and Guzma, ready to fight the man before him. Ash turned his head once more, noticing Lillie running off into the woods towards the Mahalo Trail. Serena appeared to be going after her and other Team Skull thugs, a rather large amount, were giving pursuit. With so much going on, Ash's head swam for a moment before he looked back. "I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm protecting this town."

"But ya still haven't told me why?" Guzma asked with a leer. Ash's eyes flashed angrily. He didn't need a reason to help people who had been kind to him. "Why are ya doin' any of it?"

"Because I can. Rowlet, Pikipek, go help out Serena," Ash said without missing a beat. Then he raised his hand to the air, summoning the water around Greninja. They were united in what he believed was their purpose: to defeat the enemy before them and to save Iki Town. Yet for a single moment, resting in Guzma's grin there was that continually unanswered set of questions:  _why are you doing what you're doing? Why do you want to win?_  The thought unsettled Ash, but didn't remove his perceived purpose or the road he was walking together with Greninja and his other Pokémon. The transformation completed and both trainer and Pokémon raised their fists in challenge.

"Let's see if that's good enough to take down your boy Guzma, then."

* * *

"Lillie!" Serena's voice ripped at her throat as she ran. Popplio was having a hard time moving alongside her, so she quickly bent down to pick her up before chasing after the girl into the brush. Loud and inelegant crashing sounded out behind her, indicating that Team Skull was very much giving chase. "Braixen, fire a Hidden Power behind us!"

"Brai!" Braixen confirmed, whipping around and aiming her wand backwards. The silver light coalesced and fired off before splitting off. The loud noise of impact, combined with an "oof" told Serena that they'd hit their mark, and Serena continued to chase after Lillie. Team Skull was remarkably persistent when their boss was calling the shots, it seemed. All she had to hope was that Ash would be okay. A large root approached, and Serena jumped over it, her feet once more slamming onto the dirt path. Lillie was growing ever closer before her form appeared to stop moving, tumbling over.

"Lillie," Serena called, finally closing the distance and drawing to the girl. She had definitely fallen, rubbing at her leg, the bottom hem of her dress now caked with dirt. "Are you all right?"

"Fine…just tripped," the blonde said, trying to pull herself to her feet. She most definitely was  _not_  fine. Not from the way she was moving. Her ankle was red and puffy, likely sprained from the fall. Lillie's shoes were definitely not conducive to running, she remarked in her head yet again. Serena bent, grabbing the girl's arm and helping her up. "Ah ah…"

"It seems like a sprain," Serena said cautiously. Braixen moved around to hold on to Lillie's other side. "You shouldn't go running off on your own."

"I'm sorry, but I…Nebby…" Lillie said. Serena wanted to ask exactly what the girl meant by that, but she tried to start moving again before she had the chance. Lillie detached from Serena and Braixen, only for her sprained ankle to once more give out. This time, Serena put Popplio down and caught her handily. That's when she noticed that the girl's bag was open…and empty.

"He really likes getting into trouble, doesn't he?" Serena sighed out. No wonder Lillie had run off so quickly. It was dangerous and foolhardy, for sure, but all for a good cause. "Where did he go?"

"I think…he went towards the ruins," Lillie gasped out in pain, her ankle obviously aching terribly. "Nebby tried to go there once before, but I don't think the path is safe. I worry about him every time he tries to leave the bag."

"Reminds me of Squishy for sure…" Serena mumbled out, remembering how the little green form of the legendary Zygarde had often disappeared from Bonnie's bag to bask in the sun, or one time had run away entirely. More importantly, however… "Then we need to go after him. Come here and hold on to me."

"Okay, sorry…" Lillie expressed. More crashing sounds were heard in the forest behind her, along with a faint whooshing sound overhead. Serena looked up to see a gaggle of Zubat floating overhead dangerously.

"Popplio, Bubblebeam!" Serena cried. She couldn't very well risk Braixen using fire moves in such close quarters as this forest. Popplio jumped onto her fin at the back and fired the substantial bubbles upward. They consumed the Zubat and popped, depositing them onto the forest floor. "Let's move, before they can catch up with us."

"Right," Lillie said positively. She still seemed to be in slight pain, but supported by both Serena and Braixen, the group moved forward. Popplio followed at a slower pace, but one that Serena kept track of to make sure her newest Pokémon wasn't falling behind at all. She kept her gaze skyward as well, trying to see if they would be attacked from there, too. At one point, she could swear that she saw some more Zubat flying overhead, aiming for the Mahalo Trail, and she picked up the pace.

The area began to grow brighter as they reached the edge of the forest, and the crashing was growing louder. Along with it, some chittering from up ahead could be heard, no doubt the Zubat that had flown in front of them. Popplio turned back and, without needing a command, fired a loud Disarming Voice through the forest. Some branches broke off from the pink attack, but Popplio didn't stop to care about it, bounding after them. Finally, they had broken out of the trees and stood before the ravine that lead to the Mahalo Trail.

"Pew! Pew!" Nebby's cries reached Serena's ears. However, they seemed to have reached Lillie's first, because the girl shrugged off Serena and Braixen's help to run forward. It was obvious she was in pain, but the girl was more than determined, running for the rickety bridge that spanned over the ravine. Nebby was atop it, turning back and forth, trying to find a way to escape from the Zubat that now surrounded him.

"Nebby!" Lillie cried, almost falling over as she reached the bridge. She clasped onto the wooden post that was there, heaving in a sharp breath. Serena turned back to the forest.

"Popplio, Bubblebeam into the forest, and Braixen, Flamethrower on the Zubat, but don't hit the bridge!" Both Pokémon gave a cry and sprang into action. Popplio opened her mouth, but instead of firing the bubbles from there in the same fashion she usually did, she sent them cascading powerfully outward into the brush. Meanwhile, Braixen aimed carefully with her wand and sent the fire roaring across all of the Zubat. They smoked, and then they fell towards the ravine, bouncing off the bridge ropes.

Lillie forced herself upward on the bridge support and gripped the rope that stretched along the bridge, slowly shuffling towards Nebby, who was starting to turn back to the Mahalo Trail. He flinched, however, stopping his movement. Serena had to wonder if Nebby had been hurt just as Lillie had been. Keeping her gaze towards the forest, Serena backed onto the bridge, picking Popplio up as she went. Braixen faced forward until they managed to reach Lillie, though Serena tried to ignore the fact of where she was, her knees close to giving out in trepidation.

"Nebby, you can't run off like that, especially in situations like this," Lillie scolded the little puff. Nebby appeared to have his attention split, turning back and forth between Lillie and the ruins that clearly lay ahead. That distraction afforded Lillie the opportunity to reach him and hold him tightly. Serena backed up as their pursuers seemed to break through the trees, panting loudly.

"Yo! What's the big idea?" one of them yelled, and Serena thought he looked familiar. "First you attack us at the Berry Farm and now you gotta make us go runnin'? That ain't nice."

"Neither are you," Serena said sternly. Popplio leapt from her arms, acting as a vanguard to her while Braixen and she closed ranks around Lillie and Nebby, neither of them moving. "Leave Iki Town alone."

"Nah, sista, we ain't leavin' the town alone when the boss told us not to," said a thinner member next to the two familiar ones. More Zubat floated overhead, though they weren't alone; a rather large Golbat was flapping by with them, looking intimidating. Popplio shrunk in, but didn't back down. Serena's mouth set itself into a thin line.

"Think for yourself," she snapped. Most of the grunts recoiled, but the thin one simply laughed nastily. He stalked forward, a Raticate in front of him as he stepped onto the rickety bridge. Lillie lunged for the ropes to hold onto as it shook. Even Serena gulped, her usual fear starting to return tenfold. She stared down…the drop to the ravine looked very long. Her feet began to shake. Of all the things she was stuck on, it  _had_  to be a rickety rope bridge. Her one weakness. Well, maybe not only, but certainly close enough.

"We are thinkin' for ourselves, yo, and I'm thinkin' you got some rare lookin' Pokémon there," the guy said. Behind them, the Zubat and lone Golbat had closed ranks, preventing any escape to the other side of the bridge. "And they gotta be, otherwise, you wouldn't be runnin'…"

"Serena…" Lillie whispered fearfully, clutching Nebby even tighter. Serena swallowed, shutting her eyes so as to not remind herself of the very large drop to down below.

"Now, how's this sound? You give us your rare Pokémon and we'll leave ya alone," the man snickered. Behind him, the other two members had appeared, moving their hands around as they walked in a weird fashion. "Can't say the same for the town, though."

"Popplio, Disarming Voice," Serena snapped angrily. The Skull thug put his hands up in shock, like he actually hadn't expected her to fight back that way. She wouldn't stand for it though; hurting people needlessly and for no reason whatsoever. Popplio opened her mouth, giving a sharp cry.

"Paaaaaaaaah!" came the loud sound, the heart shaped soundwaves firing from her mouth and slamming into Raticate. The Mouse Pokémon tumbled backwards, landing at the guy's feet.

"Hey, you can't do that! Zubat, show 'em we mean business!"

"Braixen, Hidden Power!" Braixen swiped her wand, sending the silver orbs towards the Zubat that were now converging upon them. Some of the Zubat dodged, but others were hit, tumbling towards the ravine. Predictably, the Golbat showed more finesse, completely avoiding the attacks and flapping its wings. An Air Cutter soared out. Some impacted on the bridge, others dug slightly into the ropes. Serena swallowed once more, some more fear setting in. The other Skull members moved forward as Raticate rolled to its feet, its large cheeks bulging further.

Her fist tightened. There wasn't too much she could do at the moment. Popplio simply couldn't keep up with the large amount of attacks that would be aimed at her in such a close quarter and Braixen's plethora of fire moves could only serve to harm the wooden bridge, leaving Hidden Power as her only option. Taking the time to call another Pokémon wasn't a very savvy choice, either.  _Clemont was right…Braixen uses too much fire. Maybe we should try something new…_

"Time to say yo prayas little missy!" the thin leader of the Skull trio said. "Raticate, use Crunch!"

"Popplio, use Bubblebeam!" Serena ordered. Popplio sent the bubbles cascading out almost immediately. It wasn't the best strategy, and soon proved to not work when Raticate bit down on the bubbles, breaking them. Then it lunged.

"Rrrrroh!" A force slammed into Raticate suddenly, driving it into the bridge ropes. The bridge shook and Serena clasped onto the rope while Lillie grabbed onto her skirt. Raticate appeared dazed as Rowlet appeared overhead. At the same time, the two Rattata from the other grunts were both hit on the sides of their heads by Pikipek. "Koo?"

"Good to see you, Rowlet," Serena said, giving the little one a thumbs up. Rowlet chirped happily until Pikipek appeared to call out to him, forcing him to look serious once more. "Now, Braixen, Hidden Power on those guys!"

"Brai brai!" Braixen said, glad to finally take orders. Lillie continued to hold onto Nebby as the Zubat resumed their assault right behind them. Pikipek and Rowlet immediately flew into it, swooping with Peck and Pluck to effortlessly cut their way through the enemy. They may have only been some of Ash's newest partners, but already they were proving how well Ash had trained them. The silver orbs hit the Rattata once more, and this time managed to hit the grunts as well, making them fly back. As expected, the thin one was the first to his feet.

"This ain't cool! I won't be able to look my brothers and sisters in the eye if we lose out on such a rare Pokémon!" he snapped. Raticate appeared to have recovered, clicking its jaw angrily. Serena looked up and noticed that Pikipek had opened her mouth. She grinned.

"Popplio, use Disarming Voice at full power!" Serena commanded, raising her fist and bringing it down. Popplio opened her mouth and in tandem with Pikipek, the two made loud cries, radiating soundwaves across the area in a crushing blow. The Skull grunts fell back once more and Raticate flew the farthest, slamming into the thin man while Zubat dropped like flies around them. When the assault finally ended, the Pokémon weren't getting back up…unless one counted the Golbat that had managed to stay out of range and was now engaging Rowlet. Serena flicked her gaze up to see Rowlet zipping back and forth, avoiding the Air Cutter that Golbat was sending out.

"Koo!" Rowlet shouted, barely avoiding one of the attacks. That lone Air Cutter sliced into one of the ropes on the bridge, snapping it. Serena felt the entire bridge shake and she fell to her knees. Popplio looked at her, putting her fins on Serena's knees.

"I'm okay," she assured her, briefly looking back on Lillie to see that she was all right, as well. The bridge shook again and Serena's fears doubled, seeing that one rope fraying. "Rowlet, we have to be more careful. Try not to use Leafage and stick to other moves like Pluck."

"Roh!" Rowlet responded, flapping around and aiming a talon right at Golbat. The force preceding it struck the bat, driving it back and its fangs glowed a powerful purple. Then it flew right for him.

"Use Pluck, now!" Serena called, hoping that Rowlet would listen to her. He nodded, a fierce expression on his tiny face. His beak glowed blue and he aimed right for a collision course at Golbat. Golbat's mouth opened, if possible, even wider than before. The flecks of poison collided quickly, before Pluck could hit, and Rowlet strained against Golbat's force. Another snapping noise; that last Air Cutter had done far more damage than Serena had truly realized in the breadth of the moment. Pikipek fluttered down to Serena's shoulder, keeping her gaze sharp as Rowlet strained against Golbat with a sense of fatigue.

"Pikipiki!" she called up to Rowlet, like reminding him that he wasn't alone in the fight. That looked to be all the encouragement he needed. He pushed forward, bright blue light exploding from his beak before suddenly transferring to his entire body. Bright sparks flew from his body, enveloping him in the beautiful light. Serena's eyes widened. "Peh?"

"Is Rowlet…?" Lillie's voice asked in a sense of awe. Even the Team Skull members on the bridge were looking up, though they seemed more frightened than anything.

Rowlet's body began to change shape, no longer round. His body became elongated, his wings were bigger, and parts of his brown fur became darker while others became white. His green bowtie appeared to remain, though, while part of that green leafy substance drooped in front of his eyes like a cowlick. As the light finally faded, Rowlet…or whatever he had evolved into, drove forward, even stronger than before. That force pushed Golbat back, slamming it into the cliffs of the ravine. "Darrroh!"

"He's evolved into a Dartrix…" Lillie said. Serena shook her head, but with a smile. Ash would be absolutely enthusiastic to see that the Rowlet who had worked so hard after not being wanted by a trainer had evolved.

_Snap!_  Serena blinked. That hadn't sounded very good at all. She turned and noticed that the other side of the bridge's rope had now snapped. The bridge began to tilt, threatening to dump them off the side. The Skull grunts scrambled, looking to run away from the now breaking bridge. One of the three managed to get to the other side and onto firm ground, but that was about it. All of a sudden, the rope tied to the support, weakened from one of the earlier attacks, also broke.

The rope bridge fell.

"Aaaaaah!" Lillie screamed. Serena lunged for her hand, quickly grabbing both Popplio and Braixen's pokeballs to return them. Once she had, she gripped tightly to Lillie's hand. Pikipek attempted to hold on, but wasn't nearly strong enough. Dartrix flapped down, now even faster than before ,with nimble control to grip Serena's shirt without tearing it. However, the combined weight of both girls was proving more than even he could handle, wildly flapping his wings.

"Pew! Pew!" Nebby cried, as if trying to reach someone or something. It was hardly the time to do so, but Lillie still held the little one close.

"We'll be okay, Nebby. We'll be okay…"

"Peeeeeeeeeeeew!" Nebby's cry came like a screech, calling out loudly. Serena closed her eyes and sucked in a breath, only to suddenly find that her breath had halted in her place. She could see everything around them, yet it all appeared to pass in slow motion, as though the laws of reality had been rewritten for a single moment, preventing them from falling. The impossibility hit her mind in stasis. She wanted to turn her head, but couldn't. All she could do was stare upward, towards a strange ripple in the sky, like a pulsing portal that was trying to open, but wouldn't, either from being blocked or not being strong enough to. Then she heard a cry.

_Kauuuuuuuuu!_

Serena swallowed, wondering just what would happen now, and whether she could move again. Then, suddenly, her breath returned to normal, she could turn her head to look at an exhausted Nebby, and her swallowing function was fine. Most importantly, though, was that she was no longer falling through the air. She was surrounded by buzzing electricity, and suddenly her feet were touching the ground safely. Her knees buckled and she practically collapsed.

"Pikee?" Pikipek asked, floating down to the ground alongside Dartrix. She looked up at the now larger bird before turning back to stare at Serena. Said girl felt like throwing up, the whole experience entirely surreal to her and her breaths came in heaves. Her heart was racing, but as it started to calm, she picked herself up. Lillie was just feet away from her, nearly collapsed and passed out as well. The only one that wasn't was Nebby, who was talking to a strange Pokémon near the collapsed bridge.

"Tapu…Koko…?" Serena whispered out. The guardian deity of Melemele seemed to be exchanging some sense of telepathy with Nebby. Serena shakily rose to her feet, drawing closer when she felt snippets of their words enter her mind, like something out of a dream.

_Threat…aid…years ago…freedom from prison…_

_The one veiled in black._  Serena stopped, clutching at her head from the words these two were speaking. She didn't understand, and it became quickly apparent that she wouldn't have the chance to do so, either. Tapu Koko turned, its electric blue eyes focusing on her for just a second, and then it disappeared like a flash of lightning. Nebby watched it go for a second, and then he fell over, all energy expended. Lillie stirred.

"Mmm…" she groaned out, pushing herself and her now filthy white dress up from off the ground. "Is…Is Nebby okay?"

"Pew…" Nebby called out, as if assuring her that he was. Lillie sighed in relief while Serena continued to look at Nebby. Just what  _was_  he? As Nebby collapsed, however, she decided that perhaps that was not as important as his exhaustion and the town they had left behind. Serena shuffled over and grabbed the little one, turning back to Dartrix and Pikipek. Lillie's ankle still looked swollen, so she bent down by her and offered to help.

"Thank goodness you're okay, Nebby."

"Good thing we all are," Serena corrected her, still feeling nauseated from their near drop. Then she sucked in a breath and turned towards the forest. "Come on, let's get back to town."

With only a single look at the now un-crossable ravine and the Tapu that lay beyond, Serena began to drag them all back into the forest, one step at a time.

* * *

"Man, these guys just keeping coming up like weeds," Hau said with a slight frown on his lips. It was the least happy that Clemont had ever seen the boy since they had first met. Not that he had the time to think on it, considering the forces converging upon them. "Torracat, use Fire Fang!"

"Grrow," Torracat snarled out. His fangs brimmed with flames as he pounced into a group of Yungoos. An explosion resulted from the hit. Clemont watched it just a moment and Hau smiled as the cat returned to his side.

"Torracat's gotten real strong, huh?" Hau asked of Clemont. The inventor wasn't particularly sure how to answer, instead commanding for Grubbin to use Spark on a Team Skull grunt that had the lack of brains to jump right at them. Grubbin did so, just as Luxray sent a cascade of Swift stars at some other clustered Team Skull members. "Yeah, he evolved from Litten against tutu and has gotten totally awesome."

"Stop blathering on and actually do some fighting!" Jessie snapped, and Clemont realized that somehow they had joined up with Team Rocket. More than that, they were practically surrounded by Team Skull, all of them backed into a corner. With Serena having run off somewhere with Lillie, and Ash otherwise occupied (as he could see) they were really out of options.

"Oh, good point. Who are you, by the way?" Hau asked, bringing a smile back to his face. Jessie looked enraged by this, but Meowth quickly snapped before she could.

"It don't matter, smiling twoip," he said. His claws extended, shining in the sunlight. Elsewhere in the square, Rockruff charged through a group of fiery Pokémon that were attempting, and failing, to burn down Hala's house. "Right now, dese bozos offered us insult."

"And Team Rocket always pays back any insult a hundred times!" James stated emphatically. Hau smiled and appeared to accept that as an answer, ordering for Pipi to use Brick Break on one of the Yungoos surrounding them. Clemont reached up and adjusted his glasses. He felt a slight pressure on his shirt, realizing that Bonnie was there, holding onto him as Dedenne's cheeks sparked a little.

"Isn't that sublime? Gourgeist, Dark Pulse!"

"Gourguh-guh-guh-guh-geist!" Gourgeist called, floating backwards before unleashing a powerful Dark Pulse, the beam of black and purple energy moving erratically across Team Skull's forces.

"Crabrawler, Power-Up Punch!" James seemed to take great glee in ordering the attack, almost like he enjoyed fighting against Team Skull…or maybe it was more of an enjoying the fact that he was fighting side by side with them. Clemont frowned. Team Rocket was definitely an odd one. Had they not been through so much in Kalos, he would have simply thought of them as those no-good Pokémon thieves. As they were now, though, he had to wonder if that was the case all the time.

"Luxray," Clemont said to his most powerful Pokémon, "let's use Electric Terrain and even the odds a little!"

"Ray!" Luxray howled out. His body sparked, steam surrounding the area before electricity coursed across the ground, forming a disc in the area. Grubbin immediately took to the electricity, gobbling it up before ramming into a cluster of Rattata with Spark. The powered up Spark caused a blowback that knocked the Team Skull members onto their butts, creating a path to Ash.

"Our turn, too! Thunder Shock!" Bonnie commanded of Dedenne. Dedenne ran forward on his stubby legs, absorbing some of the electricity from the field to power his attacks. Then he let it loose, falling upon the Yungoos. They convulsed and then dropped, smoking. He had to admit, Bonnie had grown a lot stronger; she and Dedenne both. It almost made him wonder if even she would surpass him as a trainer before long.

"This thing is real annoyin', yo!" one of the Skull members yelled. Clemont turned his head just in time to see them stride up to where Dedenne had been battling and kicking the Antenna Pokémon. Or he tried to. Dedenne held on fiercely.

"Shock him! Shock him!" Bonnie commanded, partially with authority and partially with a sense of fear, it seemed. Dedenne tried to, but the Skull grunt appeared to not actually care, picking the little one up with two fingers and holding him by his tail.

"Annoyin' little rat!" he spat before throwing Dedenne right at Bonnie. She ran forward, catching him, passed out already from the treatment. Suddenly, an orange fist came flying out of nowhere to slam into the guy, causing Clemont to turn and see James standing there.

"Hey! No one hurts the mini-twerpette or touches her Pokémon but us!" he said sternly. Clemont found himself nodding; he wasn't sure if that was exactly what James meant or rather he really just didn't like seeing them hurt, but Clemont was grateful for it nonetheless. Certain of that, he adjusted his glasses once more and decided to end the battle.

"Luxray, use Wild Charge on all of them!" He wasn't the only one giving orders for ending their current encirclement. As Luxray blazed with electricity, Pipi also did while Gourgeist fired seeds and Crabrawler sent an array of bubbles that exploded around them. Luxray charged forth like a rampaging Tauros, knocking aside any and all Pokémon and Team Skull members in his path. As all of the attacks connected, the Skull grunts were sent sprawling backwards while the Electric Terrain faded, allowing Clemont a chance to breathe. He hadn't even realized that he was holding his breath so evenly. It hadn't sped up or raced through him with a thrill. His pulse, oddly enough, simply felt normal.

Yet he also felt disappointed as the dust cleared. In some way, he felt it should have ended sooner, especially when he saw how hurt Dedenne had gotten from a single instance of not paying attention. A cry behind him revealed that Crabrawler had, for whatever reason, clamped onto James' head happily with a claw, ending only when the blue-haired man offered him a berry. Hau appeared to laugh at the sight as Jessie rolled her eyes, but Clemont just clenched his fists and looked to where Ash was, near the center of the stage, fighting against the man called Guzma.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" the raven-haired trainer ordered. Pikachu skirted around Golisopod's side before slicing upward. Golisopod appeared to be waiting for him, just as Guzma anticipated the punch from Ash, catching it with his hand and tossing the boy to the side. Hala stepped forward angrily, ready to step in when a flurry of Golbat descended upon him and Hariyama.

"Razor Shell," Guzma said confidently. From the scales on Golisopod's arm emerged a practical blade of water that it whirled backwards to block Pikachu's timed attack. Pikachu looked to have a hard time holding it, still exhausted from his earlier battle with Machamp.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash commanded, jumping to his feet and running up to Guzma as Greninja did so with Golisopod. Both punched upward, but while Guzma managed to step back and avoid Ash's punch, Golisopod got its head slammed back. "Now, use Cut!"

"Brick Break," Guzma chuckled out. If Clemont didn't know any better, he'd have said that Guzma was genuinely enjoying the fight…or maybe he just enjoyed senselessly beating the stuffing out of another trainer, since that was what seemed to be exactly happening. As Greninja pulled his water kunai out from his sides, drawing from the shuriken on his back, Golisopod brought a shining claw down upon his head. Ash gagged, feeling the power and weight behind the attack, no doubt. For a Pokémon that wasn't even a Mega level opponent, Golisopod brought the full threat of one behind itself. Guzma caught on to Ash sharing the pain with Greninja and punched him in the stomach. "Did ya think some fancy form would help ya win?"

"Pi-Pikachu, Thunderbolt," Ash coughed out. Clemont winced, as though he felt Ash's pain. Around them, the battle against Team Skull for Iki Town continued, almost looking like a battle of attrition in some sense: the townspeople would drive the forces away, only for them to soon be replaced. Pikachu called forth as much electricity as he could and then zapped it towards Golisopod, consuming the Pokémon. Golisopod actually appeared to suffer a little under the attack, but Clemont had a feeling it wouldn't last long.

"Use Razor Shell!" Once more, the watery blade appeared. Golisopod moved fast, faster than Clemont would have thought, in order to slice across Pikachu. Then it moved on its own, like it knew just what Guzma wanted from it. Crossing its arms, Golisopod ran at Pikachu with an X-Scissor and sliced into him.

"Pika!"

"Double Team, Greninja," Ash coughed out, but stood, punching up to just miss Guzma's neck. Hala and his own Pokémon were still currently occupied, the Golbat showing a surprising amount of strategy. It almost made the inventor wonder…

"Ninja!" Greninja cried, creating all of the copies of himself. One of them was close to Pikachu, quickly catching him before dashing over to Ash's bag to place the exhausted Pikachu there. Rotom seemed to pop out, placing a hand on Pikachu's forehead. Trainer and Pokémon continued to move as one, wordlessly. Greninja grabbed his giant shuriken from his back and sliced around to Golisopod's backside while Ash made a haymaker that nailed Guzma's side. The older man stumbled, gritting his teeth a moment before grinning.

"Yer not bad kid," he chuckled out. "I'm really enjoyin' this now! You've got a fire in ya, for sure…and I'm gonna take it!"

"There's no way you're taking  _anything_  from me, or the people of Iki Town!" Ash challenged back. He and Guzma punched at each other, both of their fists meeting in the center. Guzma opened his palm and pulled Ash forward.

"How can I take anythin' from a kid who's nothin'?" he chuckled out, his gravelly voice low and menacing, sending a shiver up Clemont's spine. Greninja and Golisopod were both rushing at each other, no longer needing their trainers' orders as they lashed out with Brick Break and Aerial Ace. Ash moved in tandem with Greninja, kicking and punching outwards. He was much more fluid in his movements than he had been back in Kalos; months of training physically with Greninja were certainly paying off. Yet Golisopod and Guzma were matching their team strike for strike.

"Now, Greninja! Cut!" Using his immense leg strength, Greninja jettisoned up into the air before spinning, drawing forth his liquid kunai. Golisopod looked up, calling out his own blade of water. The two met in midair, clashing with mist spritzing out around them. At the same time, Ash and Guzma's forearms met and they practically headbutted each other. By Clemont's observation, they both looked lost in the moment, as if they were competing on a plane higher than Clemont could ever imagine. Definitely one above his reach, that nothing could break them out of.

But something did break  _him_  out of it.

"Crobat, Air Slash," said a very cold and callous voice. A feminine one, to be sure, but one that otherwise seemed rather unfeeling. Clemont turned and acted without thinking. He grabbed the distressed Bonnie and Grubbin, tossing the both of them to the ground. Hau seemed to react as well, or rather, Torracat did it for him, pulling him by his shirt to the dirt floor they were on. Only Team Rocket didn't react in time as the thin blades of air struck hard upon where they were standing, James in midmotion of feeding a smiling Crabrawler his berry.

There was just a brief second where they registered shock before the Air Slash hit, causing the ground to explode around them. They went flying, distinctly yelling their catchphrase as they did so, yet Clemont couldn't care. He was sitting up to look at what had caught them so unawares, only to find a black claw pressing down upon him and Bonnie. He swallowed thickly as he saw a Pokémon above him, its black body consumed with red markings that seemed akin to flame. Next to it was a girl, or rather, a woman only a few years older than him at best. She had pink hair with yellow highlights and a cold expression, dressed in a tight fitting tanktop. The woman still looked better than most of the Team Skull members around her, but judging by the hair adornments that held it into four tails, she was no doubt one of them.

"Don't move, and I promise this will all go much more smoothly," the woman said. Clemont saw Bonnie open her mouth, as if to say something back, but he instantly covered it. The way she had spoken, this woman was most certainly not playing around. Seeing that he wasn't going to do anything, she smirked a little. "Good. None of us want to see our little siblings hurt, would we?"

"Big sis…" croaked one of the defeated Skull thugs on the ground. The woman turned her head.

"You adorable idiots…what did he get you into this time?" she sighed out before shoving her hands into her pockets and watching forward. The Pokémon towering over them didn't move at all, but Clemont was still able to watch the girl, noticing the Z-Ring clasped around her wrist. It was a different style from the one Ash had, looking to be made somewhat of red gemstones, almost like blood in crystal form. "Yo, Guzma! Knock it off!"

Clemont watched as Guzma pulled back from Ash, who seemed even more defensive at the sight of the girl. "Plumeria? 'Bout time you showed up!"

"It really is," Plumeria, or so Clemont assumed she was called, said coldly. If this woman was really part of Team Skull, it was a surprise she didn't speak to Guzma with more respect. "This is why I tell you to wait before you do something stupid, dumbass."

"Hey! I am your leader!" Guzma said angrily, but he didn't make a move on Plumeria, who was scowling.

"And leaders make good decisions, not go raiding towns. We have our base town. That's enough," Plumeria snapped. Guzma blinked, but actually looked ashamed at her scolding. "You said you were coming to observe and report, remember? Now, stop being ridiculous and pull the boys out. They're getting a beating, you know?"

"Huh?" Guzma questioned, as if finally pulled back to reality. He seemed to glance around, getting the scope of what had happened in Iki Town. Clemont also took the opportunity. For the most part, Team Skull members were lying in heaps around the town, though it wasn't as if it hadn't taken any damage from the attacks. Only Hala's house and a couple others truly looked undamaged. "Damn…What is  _wrong_  with you, Guzma? !"

"Oh, good, out of your 'I'm the big boss Guzma, destruction in human form' mode?" Plumeria mocked sardonically. Guzma shot her a scowl, but didn't say anything against her. "Come on, boss, let's head back home. I'm sure they'll be wanting to hear your report, even if you went excessively over the top as usual."

"Honestly, Plumeria, ya take the fun out of everything," Guzma said, folding his arms, but deciding to acquiesce. It was obvious, given that he grabbed his pokeball and used it to recall Golisopod from the battle. Greninja dropped, dismissing the knives from his hands. The leader of Team Skull heaved a sigh, but then smirked, turning back to Ash. "Ya ain't half bad, kid, but next time, put a little conviction behind yer attacks. Show me that what ya say actually means somethin'."

"What?" Ash asked flatly. Guzma didn't answer back, placing his fingers to his lips and whistling sharply. The sounds of attacking slowly died down as it echoed around the town.

"All right, ya loveable misfits! We're done here. I don't want this crummy town," he said, waving his hands. Plumeria nodded, obviously pleased with Guzma doing as she asked. The boss of Team Skull began walking off, clearly sulking a little for being interrupted, but he didn't stop. Nor did the Team Skull members who called back their own Pokémon and followed him out of the town. It was a particularly strange and shocking sight that prevented most from doing anything more. In the end, Plumeria was the last to do so, stopping near Clemont and telling her Pokémon to raise its claw before a Crobat floated by her side.

"Sorry for the trouble he caused, Kahuna Hala," Plumeria stated to the older man. Clemont watched as the Golbat lifted away from the older man; his suspicions were proved right. Plumeria had clearly made sure to hold the older man in place before she arrived. "He's always prone to getting riled up when he hears someone's strong. Won't happen again."

Plumeria then had the decency of bowing a little, showing a surprising amount of respect, before Crobat took hold of her and her Pokémon, lifting them up and away through the air over Melemele. Clemont lay there, shaking, Bonnie, in his arms, was doing the same.  _Useless…I was useless…_

"Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash's voice suddenly cut through the silence that now filled Iki Town. At his call, mutterings began to break it up, allowing Clemont a chance to sit up with Bonnie. Both of the siblings shared a look of despondence before facing away from one another. Hau was the first to truly get to his feet, running towards the nearest house. Torracat kicked dirt up in its direction, putting some of the flames out.

"Everyone, please use whatever Water Pokémon you have on hand," Hala ordered, his own voice seeming to rally the townspeople together. He called out his Crabominable and began to walk towards his grandson. This provided Clemont and Bonnie the chance to stand and approach Ash.

"Is Pikachu okay…?" Bonnie asked sadly. Ash turned around, Rotom simultaneously popping back out of his bag.

"He'll be fine. Just needs a little rest," Ash assured them with a little smile. There was clearly something on his mind though, especially given the way his eyes looked to his Z-Ring. "I hope Serena and Lillie are okay, though. They ran off a while ago."

"We're fine!" came the response. All three of them looked up towards the forest to see Serena and Lillie approaching from its confines, the former supporting the latter. Clemont instantly pulled his backpack off, noting Grubbin having attached himself there, but doing little more than resting. The inventor dug into his bag and instantly took out some first aid equipment. "Just had a little bit of trouble."

"Good to see you're okay, though," Ash said. Clemont could hear in his voice how worried he'd been, but didn't say anything in order to wade through the remnants of the broken stage to get to Lillie. Serena let the girl go, seating her down for Clemont to work on her ankle. He was glad to have taken some lessons from Brock. Pikipek flapped off of Serena's shoulder to land by Ash. "You, too, Pikipek. But where's Rowlet?"

"About that…" Serena chuckled out. As she mentioned it, Clemont turned his head in time to see a medium sized shape suddenly flit down towards Ash's bag…only to get stuck inside. "Well, while we were battling…"

"Rowlet evolved!" Rotom exclaimed excitedly and suddenly. Ash seemed to blink, confused as he turned to the shape trying to fit itself inside his bag. It looked to work, though when the Pokémon poked his head out, Clemont could see the strange one looked very uncomfortable.

"Wait…this is…Rowlet?" Ash asked in confusion.

"Drrroh!" the Pokémon hooted happily. Pikipek turned on Ash's shoulder to chirp, as if in confirmation. At this, Ash's face lit up with extreme happiness.

"Rowlet is now Dartrix, the Blade Quill Pokémon," Rotom explained sagely. "It throws sharp feathers called blade quills at enemies or prey. It seldom misses."

Ash seemed to hardly care at all about the description. He just lunged forward, allowing whatever confusion or lingering thoughts from the interrupted battles with Guzma and Hala to leave his mind. Instead, he took Dartrix into a hug, one that an awakening Pikachu happened to be caught between. "Dartrix! This is awesome! You're awesome!"

"Dar!" Dartrix agreed, preening the top of his head a little. Clemont smiled and finished wrapping Lillie's leg as everyone around him laughed at Dartrix's enthusiasm. It wasn't the most favorable conclusion to the battle in Iki Town, but at the very least, it was a positive one. Knowing that, Clemont finished his work and joined in on the laugh, letting every other thought fade away with the breeze in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I'd like to think this was a wham chapter, but I'm probably just kidding myself. In all honesty, there was quite a bit to propel the plot forward this chapter. All of the character arcs have been set in major motion with this and hopefully you can see somewhat where I'm going with them. I'll tell you that part of it for all of them has to do with the way they reacted to the situation. But other than that, there was simply a lot. Between Plumeria making her stunning appearance to some major plot things with Nebby and Tapu Koko, it was chock full of stuff. Oh, and Rowlet evolved. I'm sure you didn't see it coming…well…you probably did. But maybe not here. Anyway, I loved writing this one, so I hope you loved reading it.
> 
> Every meaningful (non-spam) word and review is appreciated to me. So, until next we meet, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	14. A Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, this is one of my shortest chapters in a while…still vital to have happen, though. I hope you'll all enjoy Chapter 14!

Chapter 14

A Departure

"Hey, bring that pile of timber over here!"

"We're on it!" Clemont looked up at the call, seeing Ash and Hau approaching him from near one of the houses. Both of them were busy practically flexing their muscles at one another, as though testing each other. Their Pokémon were, at the very least, competing with one another. Pikachu and Pipi were running around digging new gardens with their tails for the townsfolk while Dartrix and Hau's Torracat were racing to see who could sprinkle the gardens with water the fastest.

"Hey, Clemont, we're ready!" Ash called out, waving his hand. Clemont smiled, pushing his glasses up on his face with a chuckle. "The townsfolk need the lumber up the hill."

"Fear not, Ash. The future is now thanks to science! Clemontic Gear on!" Clemont announced, whipping a white sheet off his latest creation, stationed at the bottom of the slope that was the road through Iki Town. "With my newest machine, the Lumber Lifter, I can hand you large amounts of timber for you to carry up the slope in no time."

"Awesome!" Hau exclaimed, his eyes wide and his mouth drooling a little bit. Clemont had to admit that it was nice to see someone so interested in his creations, but he was almost certain that Hau was really just hungry for some malasadas. The boy hadn't eaten all morning, and he and Ash had been working quite a bit. They all had been doing so in the wake of the damage done to Iki Town. It wasn't too substantial, but enough that Hala had said they should all wait until the following morning to even think about fixing it up.

"And here we go," Clemont demonstrated, pushing a button on his remote control. The machine started up, reaching over with a mechanical hand that shot twine around a stack of lumber and planks before using the hand to lift it upwards, just high enough for Ash and Hau to get underneath either end of it and lift it up easily. Seeing it happen, other townsfolk began making their way over to help out, and soon, the blond inventor saw his Lumber Lifter working at maximum speed. Best of all: it wasn't even blowing up.

"We've got snacks!" Serena's voice called from up the hill after Ash and Hau had taken their third load of lumber up to specific spots. That clearly designated a break time for everyone in the town. Most returned to their homes, but Clemont chose to make the long and exhausting trek up the hill to Hala's house, Luxray somewhat supporting him.

Ash and Hau were quick to make their way inside the Kahuna's house, but Clemont dawdled a little longer. Part of it was due to his usual poor stamina, but the other part had to do with the feelings gnawing away at his chest…feelings no doubt shared by Luxray and Grubbin, somehow. The former was a little harder to tell; only their long time together and the bristling of his fur indicated that Luxray's pride had been hurt. Grubbin was more obvious, as the little bug hadn't gnawed on any of Clemont's machines for almost twenty-four hours. Clemont heaved a sigh, patting his sweaty hands on his shorts and pushing the issue away, replacing it with a smile as he entered into the house.

"Wow, these malasadas are amazing, Serena!" Hau's voice was heard before being followed by a snarfing noise as the boy consumed them.

"Didn't I tell you, Hau! Sherena ish shomeshing elshe!" Ash responded, his own mouth full.

"Ash…" Serena called in her scolding tone; one that even Clemont shuddered from. He continued walking forward in time for Serena to change back over to her usual sweet tone. As he did, he saw Ash swallowing apologetically. "I'm not the only one who made them. Lillie helped me out quite a bit."

"I don't know about that," Lillie admitted. She was sitting on a couch, her leg resting nicely. The swelling from her ankle had certainly gone down and she was ready to start walking again, but Clemont wanted to make sure she didn't overstress it. "I just did little odds and ends. I don't exactly feel very helpful…"

"Hey, don't talk that way, Lillie," Hau encouraged her, flashing his smile across to the girl. "If you made them, then I'm sure you helped no matter what. And they're delicious! I could eat these all day…"

"So could I, but then it'd take away from training, right Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, some slight jelly smeared across his face. Pipi was no different, the two sharing a laugh at the look on the other's face. Hau flopped back on the couch, sighing in content. Clemont smiled softly at the scene, his mind starting to become content in all of their presences. Even if Bonnie slid through the room like a madwoman.

"Dartrix, Torracat, stop it!" she scolded the owl and cat, who were busy tugging at a malasada between them. Rotom was floating around them gleefully.

"In one corner, Rotom sees Dartrix, the Blade Quill Pokémon and master of projectiles," it was saying enthusiastically, having regained much of its spark from before the Team Skull assault. "In the other, Torracat, the evolved form of Litten. Which will win this-mmph!"

"You are  _not_  helping," Bonnie said, scolding the talking Pokédex. In the midst of her distraction, Dartrix's wing snapped out, lightly tapping Torracat and allowing him to consume the malasada. Torracat growled at him, but the Grass type simply preened at his hair smugly. "Oh, Clemont, you're here."

"Yeah, sorry. It always takes me a while," Clemont laughed out. He noticed a single malasada left on the table, but didn't bank on it. Seeing as Chespin popped out a moment later to take it, he was glad he hadn't. Serena just sighed and shook her head, moving to sit on the armrest of the chair that Ash was occupying. Clemont took the only remaining seat, sitting back and enjoying the comfort of sitting again.

"Ah, good to see you're all here," boomed Hala's voice across his living room. Hau waved lazily, not being bothered to move, while Ash turned in the Kahuna's direction. In fact, most of them watched him approach. "Not that I thought you wouldn't be…"

"What's up, tutu?" Hau asked, grinning his way through the conversation. Hala opened his eye a crack to look at his grandson while Clemont remained focused on the man, himself. He had been somewhat prickly since the attack on the town, and while that was no major surprise overall, it was still a little unsettling. Neither he nor Kukui had decided to speak about how they knew Guzma, the leader of Team Skull no less, but each of them had gleaned enough information from the people in town.

About how Guzma, Kukui and the woman Serena had referred to as Miss Akela were three students at the Pokémon School back in their days until going their separate ways and walking different paths. Kukui to be a professor, as far as they knew, Akela became the Ali'i ka Leilani, and Guzma seemed to fade away until emerging as the "Big Bad Boss" of Team Skull. It all sounded like a rather torrid affair to Clemont, and one he wanted no further part of, especially when any other details were scant beyond the three of them looking up to Hala as "master". The only other thing Clemont had found out was that before Guzma had faded, he was given a Z-Ring by Hala, but whether he had earned it or was given it out of pity remained unclear. In fact, much of that past was shrouded in mystery, with those directly involved refusing to share details.

"Ash, my apologies for our interrupted battle yesterday," Hala said, bowing low in apology. Ash just laughed and seemed to pass it off as nothing.

"It wasn't your fault!" Ash insisted. "Besides, it just means we'll have to have a rematch."

"About that," Hala grunted out. Ash tilted his head, and all of his Pokémon appeared to share in the reaction, except for Greninja, who looked to be keeping watch outside the home. "I'm afraid our battle will have to be postponed indefinitely."

"What? Why? !" Ash asked, bolting out of his chair. Serena barely stood from the armrest at his sudden movement. Hala sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Simply put, Iki Town suffered quite the damage," the Kahuna explained, looking out the window. Clemont could tell that he was overlooking the town. "Kukui and Ilima have already had to request help from Hau'oli City to get things patched up and while the damage isn't ridiculously extensive, it will take time to fix up. As Kahuna, I have to put all of my efforts towards that."

"Then we can stay here and help to fix up everything," Ash insisted. Next to him, Serena nodded, though the slight frown on her face said that she was also worried about things other than Iki Town. Hala shook his head at that.

"No, this is for Iki Town to fix. You've been a great help, Ash, but it will take a little time before we can hold another Grand Trial," Hala assured him carefully. "The Grand Trial is meant to be as a celebration, and I don't think the people are in a very celebratory mood."

"Oh…" Ash said. It seemed he finally understood just what the older man was talking about. Hala chuckled under his breath as he reached forward and put a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Don't worry. There's no need to be concerned about your Grand Trial here on Melemele. We'll battle again when the time is right, and I'll be looking forward to it."

"Okay…yeah…" Ash expressed. Pikachu left Pipi's side to go up to Ash, as if reminding him that he was there. "What should I do in the meantime, then?"

"I'd recommend going to Akala Island, the both of you." Hau sat up on the couch at his grandfather addressing him, trying to look like he'd been paying attention the whole time. "That is typically the next stop on the Island Pilgrimage, though I'll admit that some prefer to try their hands at other islands."

"Akala sounds good to me!" Ash said, quickly switching his demeanor back around to excited. Serena seemed to breathe out easily as well, happy with the decision that her boyfriend had made. "There's bound to be lots of great battles there between the Trials and new Pokémon, and Gladion said he'd be there as well, right?"

"Right," Serena said. Clemont smiled at their enthusiasm, though with a bit of sadness for himself. He didn't want to seem selfish, but knowing that he'd have to put his own task off for another island felt rather disconcerting. However, he didn't let it show. Not that he was the only one putting on a brave face; Lillie also appeared to look thoughtful. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunity for me to do some Leilani Ceremonies there, too."

"Oh, there definitely will," Hala said, winking. He wouldn't elaborate though. Neither Ash nor Serena seemed to let that deter them, though, both growing excited in the state of their current goals. Ash, in particular, decided to ask a rather pointed question.

"What's the Kahuna on Akala like?"

"Akala's Kahuna…?" Hala mused. Hau stood from his seat on the couch, looking just as excited. "Oh, I think it's best I not tell you until you meet her…she's really something else."

"She?" Hau questioned, but Hala still refused to answer. It seemed like even the Kahuna of Melemele didn't tell his grandson about all of these things. Instead, the Kahuna gave yet another booming laugh and began to walk out of the living room of his house.

"I'll call Kukui and let him know to get you all tickets! Then we'll see you off in grand Melemele style tomorrow!" he boomed out before disappearing into what was likely his office. Ash suddenly pumped his fist excitedly, Pikachu emulating him proudly.

"We'll finally be moving on to a new island!" Serena shouted out, clearly just as excited as her boyfriend. It reminded Clemont of what a good fit they were for each other. Made him think of Korrina, and how she was back in Kalos. Perhaps he'd call her when he had the chance…though at the same time, he sort of wanted to do it using his first call from the IRCS in order to make it something special. "Lillie, what do you plan to do? Stay on with the Professor?"

"I'm…not sure," the blonde answered. Nebby appeared to be resting in a corner of the couch, sleeping as he snuggled against the girl. "I've enjoyed traveling with all of you immensely. Like a dream come true, really; something I'd only imagined out of books, but…"

"We'd be happy to have you along, if you want to come," Ash told her. Lillie gave a slight start at that, looking over at the smiling couple before seeing Hau, whose grin seemed to encourage her. Then she looked down and smiled.

"Let me think about it just a bit, okay? I'll let you know tomorrow in Hau'oli City." Ash nodded, accepting the answer. Their declarative statements regarding Akala Island having been made, they also seemed to suddenly get Bonnie fired up as well.

"Yay! A new island. I hope it's filled with lots of cute Pokémon," she said before skipping over to Clemont, tugging at his sleeve. "Aren't you excited, Clemont?"

"Most definitely," Clemont assured her with a smile. She didn't seem to be fooled, however, puffing her cheeks out slightly. He just patted her on the head lightly, allowing his mind to go back to his work for the afternoon.

To his surprise, his Lumber Lifter managed to make it through the day, allowing more efficient work to be done. As they did so, Clemont came to finally understand Hala's words regarding the state of the town. The damage hadn't seemed very extensive, and wasn't grievous, but would take time to repair nonetheless, and to hold a celebration like a Grand Trial would have just seemed insensitive. Still, it kept his mind active for the rest of the day through dinner until at last they were all prepared to sleep. Ash and Hau appeared to fall asleep immediately, both of them tired from a day at work, but the inventor found himself unable to, and he stepped outside onto Hala's porch.

Iki Town seemed so peaceful at night, filled only with the humming of some nighttime Pokémon and the lamps that were strung throughout town. The moonlight shined down on the town, illuminating portions of the porch and Clemont sighed.

"Everything okay, Clemont?" Serena's voice called to him. The inventor turned to see his friend approaching, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, it's fine," he answered. Serena joined him at the edge of the porch, looking out over the town. As they stood there, Clemont had this feeling that something was tickling Serena's mind, likely due to what had happened the day before. Even knowing that, though, he decided to indulge himself in a moment of selfishness. "Do you think I've grown…?"

"What?" Serena asked, as though genuinely surprised by the question. It made Clemont curb his tongue. If she had to ask, perhaps his own fears were unfounded. "Clemont, what's on your mind?"

"It's…it's nothing," he said, shaking his head. It really  _was_  nothing. In the face of installing the IRCS, Ash's trials and Serena's Ceremony, feeling like a drop in the bucket of his group's respective strength was meaningless. "So, excited about the new island?"

"Of course," Serena laughed out. The two friends eased into a moment of just standing there before the girl turned to him. "Thank you, Clemont."

"For what exactly?"

"You gave me some great advice," she told him. "You helped me figure out how…monotonous my routine is. So, I spoke it over with Braixen, and we both agreed that we're going to try and learn a new move. I'm thinking something like Psybeam or Psyshock. What do you think?"

"It sounds like a great idea. I'll help you, if I can."

"Sure thing. Just…no inventions." Clemont had to afford a laugh at her request before slipping into an amicable silence that lasted on through a portion of the night until they fell asleep. He felt lighter.

* * *

Like every morning before a new beginning, Ash found he and his friends quite busily getting ready for their departure. Hala had made them an extremely quick breakfast of melons, which Dartrix and Chespin both attempted to eat through before the smaller Pikipek stopped them and split it down the middle. Perhaps the biggest delay in their departure was finding Nebby, who seemed to have surreptitiously hidden somewhere in Hala's couch.

"Nebby…" Lillie breathed out, finding the little cloud underneath one of the couches. Nebby gleefully jumped into her arms, allowing the girl to stow him away in the bag. When that was finally all set, their group of six (eleven, if Pikachu, Pipi, Dedenne, Rotom and Nebby were included) exited the Kahuna's house to meet him in the still damaged square. He wasn't alone, however; several townspeople were standing with him.

"You all seem ready to go then?" the man said. All at once, they nodded, assuring him that they were prepared. "Good. Well, then, I'll walk with you all to Hau'oli City. But before then…"

Just as they had nodded, Hala and the townspeople all bowed low in a show of gratitude that surprised even Ash. "Thank you for all your help."

"And may the blessings of our guardian deity, Tapu Koko, be upon you," Hala finished for all of them. The show of gratitude was certainly a surprise to Ash. He felt like they hadn't really done much in terms of helping the town. He hadn't defeated Guzma, or driven Team Skull off. All he'd done was lift some wood; a task completable by just about anyone. It made him a little embarrassed to admit how useless he felt.

It did feel nice to get such a pleasant sendoff, however.

So, with a wave goodbye, all of the travelers at last turned their backs on Iki Town and began to make their way back towards the city they had first arrived in. Hala, who was going along with them on their short journey, took the lead of the group with his grandson, who was walking forward calmly with Pipi, his hands resting behind his head. Ash took the space behind them as they headed into the forest, his hands entwined with Serena's. Taking up their rear was the rest of their small group.

Casting his gaze backwards, Ash watched Lillie for a moment. She was smiling and laughing at some joke or funny story that Bonnie was telling her. He wondered what her decision had been, now that she'd slept on it. She certainly didn't seem upset or confused, but he couldn't tell whether she had made a decision or not. He certainly  _wanted_  her to come with. They had only been together a few short days since meeting in Melemele Meadow, yet Ash couldn't help but feel she was already inexplicably a part of their little family. Even looking at her now, she and Bonnie appeared to have the same kind of hat.

"Are you excited for going to Akala?" Serena asked from next to him. Ash jerked a little, forcing Pikachu to hold on to him. Her asking the question seemed to remind him of just how silent they'd been.

"Definitely," Ash said. Somehow, he couldn't say more than that. He was always excited to move on to a new location, but it still left a slightly bad taste in his mouth that he couldn't complete his Grand Trial against Hala. Looking at the large man's broad back, it made him feel incomplete in a sense. At the same time, however, his mind drifted towards the flute in his backpack, one he hadn't even though of using in the six months since he'd received it. He supposed he could always use it to get back to Melemele in a flash when the time was right. Shaking his head a bit, he pushed the thought away to talk to his girlfriend. "What about you?"

"For sure," Serena admitted. Ash gave a wry smile and squeezed her hand. He wasn't entirely sure, but she looked a little sad as she said it. Not that Serena would ever say anything; she'd grown rather reticent on certain topics over the last six months. He was even pretty sure he'd heard her speak of Reeree a total of maybe three times since then, preferring to deal with whatever promises and issues she'd had personally. It honestly broke him a little, since he just wanted to help her no matter what, but had no idea of how…

Or maybe he did…

"You wanna go on a date?" he asked. Serena blinked, as if surprised the question had come from him. No prompting. No reminding. Ash was even surprising himself.

"That would be lovely," she finally responded with a smile, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. "But maybe we should do that when we get to Akala."

"Sounds good to me," Ash confirmed, and they continued their easy walk.

The forest was growing less and less dense and Ash and Serena both picked up the pace, drawing closer to Hau and Hala who appeared to be having some manner of farewell discussion, at least from where they entered in hearing.

"Make sure to take care of yourself. Akala is not Melemele, after all," Hala was rumbling out to his grandson. Hau just laughed a little, showing his usual disposition through and through.

"Come on, tutu, it's not like I'll be alone!" Hau insisted with his grin. "Pipi will take care of me!"

"Picha!" Pipi agreed, munching hungrily on a berry. Hala shook his head at that.

"Just make sure you check in from time to time," the Kahuna told him sternly. "You have the tendency to just run off and do whatever without regard for others. This old man would like a call once in a while."

"No probs, tutu. Pipi, remember to call after we've completed our first trial on Akala," Hau insisted. Pipi looked abashed at her trainer suddenly turning to her when she had a berry half stuffed in her mouth, but nodded nonetheless. "Man, I can't want to taste all the malasadas there! I wonder if Akala's taste any different…"

"We'll find out soon enough, right?" Ash asked, drawing his rival's attention. Hau nodded, not turning around, given his hands were behind his head. Hearing about more malasadas was only serving to make him hungry, but hearing about checking in made Ash think of something he knew he should do upon arrival in Hau'oli City.

Incidentally, they arrived on the outskirts near the school mere moments after he thought that. The children were playing outside, supervised by one of the teachers there. Hala offered the teachers a wave, but the children didn't even seem to notice that their group was walking by. Striking further back into the city, Ash looked around, noticing how it looked just the same as those couple weeks back when they first entered the region. Lost in his thoughts, Ash finally pulled to a stop when Hala did.

"The ferry to Akala departs around noon," the Kahuna explained, "which gives you a little over an hour to do whatever you need to in Hau'oli. Please make sure you're there on time…Hau…"

"Aw, come on, tutu," Hau said sheepishly. "I'm always on time! And I can always catch the next ferry anyway."

"Hau, you really should make sure you're there on time," Lillie spoke up, clutching at her bag strap. Said boy grinned at her sheepishly. Bonnie appeared to look between the two teens before placing Dedenne back inside her bag and walking to Clemont's side. Ash and Serena both had to sigh, because as she walked past, Lillie just so happened to stumble forward a little, allowing Hau to catch her arm.

"Up to some of her usual tricks…" Serena sighed out next to Ash, though only he could hear her. "Someday, I'm going to have to find  _her_  a keeper."

"Good luck with that…" Ash chuckled out. He wasn't sure there was a keeper anywhere for someone like Bonnie.

"Well, if we want to make sure we're there on time, how about we all have a malasada farewell to Melemele! I know just the place," Hau exclaimed. Without even thinking, his hand remaining on Lillie's wrist, he began to drag the poor girl off into town. Hala shook his head before indicating that they should all follow.

"Remember! Noon at the ferry dock!"

"Thank you!" Serena cried out, with Clemont offering a slight bow before they ran. Hau and Lillie weren't that far ahead of them, likely due to Lillie's own pace, but they soon turned a corner. Ironically enough, Ash found that the boy with the sunny disposition was leading them closer and closer to the docks, though not quite there. In fact, he went straight past the docks and to a shop that was brimming with color and life. Without a moment's hesitation, Hau flung open the double doors with one hand and stepped in. Ash quickly made to catch the door before it could accidentally hit Lillie before proceeding inside with Serena.

"Alola!" Hau's cheery voice called out. "Malasada buffet, please!"

"Hau, what a surprise. It's been a while…for you at least," giggled the girl that was standing there and taking orders from a customer. Said customer appeared to recognize Hau and chuckled while shaking his head.

"Yeah, I've been real busy in Iki Town saying goodbye to tutu and all that."

"Oh? Are you going somewhere?" the girl asked and Ash noticed that her cheeks were tinged pink. Serena giggled next to him while Lillie appeared to puff her cheeks out a little.

"I'm off to Akala with my friends here," Hau answered, taking out some money and putting it on the counter to pay for their joint meal. The girl shook her head and shoved it back over to him.

"I'm sorry I won't be seeing you again," she said sadly, taking one of her fingers and twirling her hair a little. "Guess I'll have to make sure you go out in style, yeah? Wait right here."

"Awesome," Hau responded. As soon as the girl turned to go into the kitchen, Hau was looking for a place to sit, quickly finding a booth for all of them to fit comfortably into. He slid into there and placed his legs on the table. When Lillie got in, she swatted at his legs, causing him to move them. Ash watched the pair for a moment; for a girl that was typically shy and demure in every way, Lillie appeared to be quite comfortable with scolding Hau. It was really a testament to how close the two of them must have been.

"So, Lillie…" Serena started when they were settled in, breaking the silence of their group, "I don't mean to pry, but, have you decided what you want to do?"

"I have," Lillie answered confidently. She nodded as she did so, her braids swinging forward. Placing her hands on the bag in her lap (presumably to both do something with her hands and stop Nebby from escaping), she looked directly at Serena before shifting her gaze along. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to travel with all of you."

"No problem," Ash said confidently. Lillie jerked back, her green eyes going wide. "You've already been with us for a few days now."

"We'd love to have you keep on with us," Serena confirmed.

"And Rotom can have the time to examine Nebby and add all sorts of data to Rotom's database," Rotom said, floating down like it was trying to do some sort of X-Ray scan on Lillie's bag. Bonnie scowled and reached over for it, Dedenne jumping out to weigh the Pokédex down.

"I'd like you to come along, too. That way, I can help you to take care of Nebby!" she insisted. Clemont only nodded with a smile, as if saying anything more would simply be reiterating what was already said. Lillie beamed, like sunlight shining on the sea, and tears came to her eyes. Hau nudged her.

"See, Lillie? It's awesome to have friends, isn't it?" he said. At the moment that she nodded happily, the girl from behind the counter approached them, a large plate of malasadas in her hand. She slid it across the table with a smile. Ash instantly reached for one at the same time as Hau. Bonnie and Pikachu did as well, the four of them all gratefully consuming their treats. Pipi was more reluctant, obviously still full from her berry meal earlier. After the boys had taken their third malasada, Lillie finally stopped her tears of joy and reached forward for one.

"Thank you," she said. "I hope to see lots of fun things with all of you on this journey. Right, Nebby?"

"Pew!" Nebby said in his muffled voice. Laughing lightly, Lillie daintily took her malasada, a piece of paper attached to it. On it looked to be a number with a smudge of what looked like lipstick. Ash turned his head in curiosity at it, but Lillie just pushed it across the table to Hau, who completely disregarded it.

"Just make sure you all don't eat  _too_  much," Serena said, eating her own food with a more delicate touch. Lillie appeared to emulate her, though found a hard time with some of the cream oozing out. "You don't want to get seasick."

"I'll be fine!" Ash assured her, continually snarfing down more until there was a single malasada left. Ash looked across the table at Hau and both lunged for it…only for it to be snuck away by one of Chespin's vines. Clemont sighed.

"I think the need for cooking is going to go up exponentially on this trip," he told them, returning the Spiny Nut Pokémon to his pokeball. Ash laughed and looked up at the clock, realizing that it was time to go. The others appeared to notice the same thing, and before long they were up and walking out the door, Hau bidding a hasty farewell to the malasada girl. Bonnie took charge, dashing ahead with a hand on her hat as they ran down the docks to the pier.

The entire area seemed bustling with people waiting to get to Akala via the ferry. From business men, to three vacationers that jumped when the doors to the ferry terminal opened, to a man that stood with a hat tipped over his face as he spoke to someone on a mobile phone. Seeing that, Ash quickly remembered his earlier idea and crossed the length of the terminal to reach the phones. Clemont hung back with Lillie and Hau to look for wherever Hala was, while Bonnie, Serena and Rotom approached the phones with him. Ash punched in the numbers and waited while the phone rang.

"Oh, Ash? This is a surprise! Serena, Bonnie and Rotom, too, it seems…" his mother suddenly answered, looking rather shocked that he was calling.

"Heya, mom, just calling to say hi before I depart to a new island in Alola," he said, waving his hand. Serena and Bonnie did so, too. "I've caught lots of cool Pokémon, too. So has Serena."

"Yup, I caught myself this great performer the other day," Serena said, suddenly holding up Popplio who created a bubble that splashed the phone. Ash hadn't even heard her call the sea lion out.

"And Rotom has collected much data to return to Professor Oak with!"

"It sounds like you're all doing wonderful, then," Delia said with a laugh. "I'll be sure to let Samuel know you're doing all right as well. Make sure you stay safe on your travels."

"I'll keep them all out of trouble!" Bonnie insisted. Dedenne nodded his head sagely in agreement. With a quick message of love, his mother signed off and the four turned around, Pikachu crossing from one of Ash's shoulders to another. The sound of the doors opening again filled the terminal, giving Ash a glimpse of who had just arrived.

"Professor!" Ash called, catching sight of the shirtless man now in the terminal with Lillie. He ran a little forward, only to notice something. Or rather, something missing. "Where's Rockruff?"

"Rockruff…?" Kukui asked, stroking his beard a bit. "Ash, I've been meaning to ask, what're your thoughts on Rockruff?"

"My thoughts?" Ash asked, surprised by the question. Bonnie twirled past him, walking up to Hau and Lillie, who still hadn't seemed to have found Hala. However, Clemont appeared to be speaking with Ilima, the captain having likely arrived with Kukui. Ash put his hands behind his head. "I think Rockruff is an awesome Pokémon. She looks playful, but from that time we battled against each other and then in Iki Town, I could tell she was a strong Pokémon. A real hard-worker that's always looking to get better. Someone I'd love to have on my team for sure."

"Something I'm sure she'd love," Kukui chuckled out. Suddenly, Ash saw the man reaching forward and clasping both of his shoulders, staring right into his eyes. It unnerved him a moment, but the kindness with which Kukui was focusing on him made him relax. "Ash, you are a kind and compassionate young man, and an excellent trainer. From the few moments I've seen you and your Pokémon in battle, I can tell. I mean, Rowlet already evolved under your care. I know that as a trainer, you have the possibility to bring out the full power of a Pokémon."

"Thanks for the compliment," Ash chuckled out, reaching up to try and scratch his cheek, "but, where are you going with this?"

Kukui removed his hands and quickly clapped them together. For a moment, Ash didn't know what to think, until he heard the scampering of claws across the floor. He didn't even need to see to know it; Ash could feel the energetic puppy approaching, wanting to burst forth and lick his face. Kukui began to shift his body. "I've never really been Rockruff's trainer. I think I told you before. I've really been more of a caretaker when she came to me, wounded on the beach where my lab is. I had to take care of her to make sure she recovered properly, but I never considered her my Pokémon, though she certainly enjoyed staying around…at least until she met you and started becoming restless. I don't think she ever considered me her trainer, you know?"

"Professor," Serena started, "are you saying…?"

"Ha ha, guess I am," Kukui laughed out. He finally stepped aside and Rockruff was there, visible, wagging her tail as she looked up at Ash. "Rockruff can't grow with me, but from the way she was sad every time you left, happy every time you arrived, and seemed to want to show off her strength in that battle against Pikipek, I know she could grow quite well under your training and care."

"But, Professor…are you sure?" Ash asked. He looked towards the puppy and could feel warmth from her, even at that distance, as if radiating a sense of happiness. Like a trainer and Pokémon that were bound to be together.

"Come on, cousin, do you know how many trainers Rockruff has seen since she's been in my care?" Kukui said with a grin. The doors to the ferry terminal opened and Ash saw the hulking form of Hala now striding in. "Yet when she met you and your friends, she was like a whole different pup. I  _know_  you can do what I and no other trainer could. Just looking at Pikachu and Greninja gives me the confidence of that."

Ash felt a well of joy in his stomach, yet it still felt so weird, just being given a Pokémon in a way, even if it wasn't  _quite_  the professor's. He knew he'd bonded with Rockruff over their many meetings, yet he still felt like just being told to take her with disregarded what  _she_  wanted, even if looking back on his battle with her, it was exactly how Kukui described. Feeling that way, Ash looked down to the puppy, while still taking a pokeball in his hands. "Rockruff…do you want to travel with me?"

Rockruff surveyed him for a brief moment and then immediately tackled Ash with a bark. The rocks on her collar rubbed against Ash's neck and he laughed, the stones tickling. "Rock! Rockruff!"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Ash laughed out. Pikachu jumped to the ground as Rockruff leapt back. He reached his hand in greeting to the little dog who reached her paw up to slap it in greeting. Seeing the heartwarming sight of a new Pokémon interacting with his oldest, Ash leaned down. "Then let's grow together and have lots of great adventures."

"Ruff!" Rockruff barked out happily. Overhead, a bell dinged, signaling that boarding time for the ferry was to begin. Pikachu leapt back onto Ash's shoulder as he straightened.

"Leave it to me! Rockruff and I will be a great team!" Ash said, holding his fist out. Kukui smirked and met that fist with his own. "Next time we meet, we'll have grown lots together."

"I've no doubt of that, cousin," Kukui chuckled out. Their fists detached and Ash looked down a moment before holding out the pokeball. Rockruff padded forward and pressed her paw against the capture device. She was sucked inside, the ball rocking back and forth a moment until closing with a  _ding_! It only took a second before he opened the pokeball again, to share the moment with his new Pokémon. Before he said anything, he made sure to grab Rockruff in his arms, stowing her pokeball away.

"All right! I got a Rockruff!"

"Pipikachu!"

"Ruff! Ruff!" Rockruff barked happily. Bonnie appeared to jump for joy, asking to pet the little puppy, though Serena was ushering her along to the ferry gate. Realizing it was time to go, Ash held Rockruff in his arms and made a dash after Serena and Bonnie. Hau quickly waved goodbye to those behind as he, Lillie and Clemont ran also.

"All right, Rockruff, welcome to the team. I'm sure we're all gonna work real hard and complete the Island Challenge together," Ash breathed out. Rockruff appeared to hear, licking his hand affectionately. Any doubts he had had in his mind were erased from that sole action and he grinned as he ran towards the ferry, bounding onto it along with his friends. Joining them were the three vacationers from earlier and the man with the brimmed hat. Some other stragglers were making their way to the boat as the chime sounded for departure. Walking to the edge, Ash and all of his current companions looked towards the dock while the boat pulled away. The farther they got, the more he could see the actual docks, with Kukui, Ilima and Hala standing on them, waving their farewells.

Rockruff dropped to the floor, causing Pipi and Dedenne to skitter up to her. Meanwhile, Ash cupped his hands. "Alola, Professor, Hala, Ilima! We'll be back again real soon for that Grand Trial! And Rockruff will have lots of stories to tell!"

"We'll count on it!" Kukui shouted. "I've no doubt we'll be seeing each other sooner or later, maybe even on Akala, itself!"

"And Hau, make sure you keep yourself well," Hala insisted. Hau crossed his feet in his usual grinning pose. "Practice your Z-Moves."

"No problem, tutu!"

"Byyyyyyyye!" Bonnie called out, her legs dangling as she waved. The boat soon pulled away from the docks and Ash turned with Serena to look out over the ocean, towards the next island of Akala. Sucking in the sea breeze and hearing the cries of Pikachu and his newest friend, Ash smiled. It was time for the next phase of his adventure in Alola.

* * *

"Well, there they go…" Kukui commented, lazily shoving his hands in his pockets as he watched the boat pull off onto the horizon. Hala grunted. Around them, all the others that had seen passengers off were dispersing, leaving the three men alone on the docks.

"You sure about this, Kukui?" Ilima questioned, tapping his Z-Ring restlessly. "Letting Rockruff go off with him like that."

"Oh, I'm very sure," Kukui insisted. "Couldn't you tell, Ilima? Rockruff wanted battles and adventures. I know Ash understood that from the few short minutes we battled before you interrupted. He's most certainly the trainer for her. I can't wait to see how the two of them grow."

"I suppose…" Ilima commented with a sigh. "Your grandson's no slouch, either."

"Not at all," Hala grumbled. He crossed his arms across his chest and Kukui saw him turning back towards Iki Town…no, towards Tapu Koko's shrine. The professor's eyes narrowed sharply. "Both Ash and Hau will have their own paths to walk on the Island Pilgrimage, each with their own lessons to learn. Learning Z-Moves will be the start of that, I'm sure."

Kukui nodded; he'd already seen Ash struggle with the mastery of Z-Moves, and judging by his battle against the old Kahuna and…Guzma…the raven-haired trainer had likely not yet mastered it. Part of him had to wonder why, considering the skilled trainer that he was, but the other part had faith that he would. That made him grin and laugh, even if the old Kahuna didn't share the sentiments.

"Ash and his friends are certainly notable," Ilima commented.

"That they are," Hala said, his voice lower, deeper, and altogether more frightening. Kukui knew the man was being fully serious now. "I'll have to make a call to a fellow Kahuna…I'd heard she was on business in the city. But either way, things are moving on the islands once again…Team Skull…Tapu Koko…and Lillie's story about Nebby."

"And that strange ripple that appeared during Team Skull's attack. None of the townsfolk noticed it, but I caught sight," the captain said. Kukui nodded, absorbing all of the evidence presented to form his own conclusion regarding the happenings on Melemele.

"Makes you wonder if the other guardian deities plan to get involved, huh?" Kukui chuckled out humorlessly. Neither of the other two men responded, and Kukui moved his gaze in the direction Hala was looking. Tapu Koko had chosen Ash…just as he'd chosen Hala…just as he'd chosen a knight, or a champion, rather, so many centuries ago. The guardian deity of Melemele was an odd one for sure, but it made one thing very clear: something was happening on Alola. He didn't know what or when or why, but he did know one thing. "Well, let's just hope that whatever it is doesn't happen before the first Alola League, huh? I want to see both Ash and Hau make it there to battle in grand style."

"Yes…" Hala once more grunted out. He began to walk forward, leading the entourage of men in the direction of Iki Town again. "But regardless…let us gird ourselves and prepare, for the islands and all the life we hold dear. We will not let Alola nearly fall to the darkness again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Again? What is this of which Hala speaks? Ominous times are brewing in Alola for sure, but should we expect anything different when Ash is there? Naturally, that last scene is meant to make you wonder just what is going on in this region (as if you don't know) but there are some surprises thrown in. However, beyond that, we had some fun stuff, I think. Yes, Ash will have to battle Hala later, but at least he now has Rockruff on his team! And all of this is kind of important, some of the statements said. Beyond that, we're getting a glimpse into Clemont and Serena's mind while Lillie has finally and officially joined the group! Next time, we head to Akala at long last!
> 
> Thanks for all the lovely words as we head to the back half of this first book. Until we meet again, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	15. A Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, we're off to Akala! Read this chapter, review it, and then watch the film Your Name! You must do this! Now! But first, Chapter 15!

Chapter 15

A Date

"All right, Rockruff, let's see what you can do."

"Rrruff!" Rockruff barked, leaping from her place in Ash's arms and onto the ferry's deck, her little tail wagging back and forth. In front of her stood Serena and her own two Pokémon: Braixen and Popplio. Ash watched as Clemont and Bonnie cleared the field to stand at the edges of the ferry, Lillie going right along with them. Hau, meanwhile, came to stand right next to Ash.

"You, too, Munchlax!" To Ash's surprise, the Big Eater Pokémon was alert and seemed ready for battle as he emerged next to Rockruff. Ash looked to Hau and the two grinned.

"All right, Serena, give us your best shot for this training," he yelled across to his girlfriend. She winked at him.

"We definitely will. Braixen, we need to try working on learning that new move," she assured her most trusted Pokémon. Braixen nodded, twirling her alit wand around rapidly. Popplio slapped her flippers together, bouncing up and down on her tail in preparation. "We'll start off with a Fire Spin, but try to control every aspect of it…that might work."

"Braixen," Braixen agreed. She held her wand forward and sent out the rotating ribbons of flame. Ash could see her straining, eyes and lips practically puckered. The ribbons wavered a bit, like they were trying to move and converge, but were unable to. It looked frustrating, but Ash knew that as this was a mock training battle, he couldn't just stand around and watch.

"Rockruff, let's use Rock Polish," Ash called, remembering some of the commands that Kukui had given in their earlier battle. Rockruff hunkered down as blue sparks traveled around her body. "Now, use Bite!"

"Ruff!" she cried, speeding forward. Popplio jumped back, and even Ash was surprised at the speed with which Rockruff moved, tossing up the dirt around her feet. She bounded over Popplio and aimed her biting attack at the Sea Lion Pokémon.

"Twirl and use Bubblebeam," Serena called. Ash had to admit surprise, watching Popplio spin, avoiding the Bite attack and sending the bubbles around her in a glorious stream. It reminded him of his good old Counter Shield, and he had to wonder if that was Serena's intent. Meanwhile, Braixen's attempt at creating any sort of new move psychically seemed to have failed, considering Hau had called for Munchlax's Body Slam. "Flamethrower on the ground to get above and then flip over!"

"Brai!" Braixen called. She aimed her wand downward and used it to propel herself upwards, over Munchlax's head. Once more, she created a Fire Spin, attempting to force the streams of fire to converge on a single point.

"Rollout, Munchlax," Hau said. Munchlax rolled itself into a ball and began spinning around the battlefield without a care in the world. Rotom floated overhead, snapping a shot of the battle below. Ash looked back to Popplio and Rockruff, his own partner shaking her head from the water. Pikachu cheered from next to Ash, pumping his fists in the air.

"Use Rock Throw!" Ash said positively. The rocks sprung from the stones around Rockruff's neck, coalescing into a single large stone that fell towards Popplio. Before Serena could issue the command, the rock struck, knocking Popplio back.

"Rockruff's really fast," Clemont commented. Bonnie clutched at Dedenne (who was sleeping) with a smile on her face.

"She's so strong and cute," she commented before looking down at Dedenne. Ash caught a frown on her face, as she seemed to think about something, but shook her head to watch the battle. Only Lillie seemed tense, like she was fearful of the scene before her. Ash shook his head.

"There's no reason to be scared, Lillie," he said. The blonde looked up, tilting her head a little. "It's just a training battle. We'll make sure our friends don't get hurt, but we want them to all work together and grow stronger."

"He's totally right, Lillie," Hau said, grinning as Braixen leapt above the rolling Munchlax, attempting her control of Fire Spin again. A few of the spirals seemed to come together, but all they managed to really do was stop Munchlax. Lillie slowly slackened her grip on the bag strap and nodded.

"Right, sorry…" she said, breathing out with a slight shudder. "I guess I should get used to it. I just don't like the idea of conflict."

"Yet sometimes conflict is necessary for bringing out true strength," a voice said from behind Ash. He and Hau turned around while the others looked to see the man with the trench coat and hat from earlier emerging from within the boat, the brim of his hat still dipped low. "Any conflict can breed strife, but from it can also be resolution, and peace. Isn't that right, Ash?"

Ash tilted his own head now as the man suddenly took his hat off with a grin. The boy blinked in response for just a second, surveying the man's now revealed messy black hair and brown eyes. Then his eyes widened. "Mr. Looker?"

"Indeed, it is I, Looker!" the man said, grinning at Ash as he adjusted his coat. Ash smiled, stepping forward to clasp the man's hand in greeting. "It's been a long time, Ash."

"Since Unova," he noted, continuing to grin. The others all stared on in confusion at this chance meeting. Ash didn't blame them; it was certainly a reunion he had never expected. Having not seen hide nor hair of the man, or heard whispers of where he was since the situation with Team Plasma, Ash had been certain he would never see the enigmatic member of the International Police again. "How have you been, Mr. Looker?"

"I've been well," Looker stated before retracting his hands and folding his arms. On an upper level of the ferry, Ash noticed the three tourists from earlier surreptitiously backing away from the railing overlooking them. Pikachu quickly scrambled up his side to say hello to the detective. "And you and Pikachu look very fine, especially after that Honor of Kalos Ceremony."

"Oh, yeah, that…" Ash laughed out, rubbing the back of his head, face flushed just a little.

"Honor of what, now?" Hau asked, drawing slight attention to himself. Looker glanced at the boy, and Ash quickly sought to change the subject. After months of being told he "put Pallet Town on the map" or "you're a totally awesome celebrity now" around the confines of Pallet Town and Kanto, he appreciated that only Lillie had seemed to recognize them from that ceremony. In some part, he wanted to keep it that way.

"So, Mr. Looker, are you on vacation in Alola, then?" he asked, shutting down Hau's question before Looker could answer. Looker sighed in response.

"Sadly, no, I'm here on business," the man told him. Ash folded his arms as Serena approached, Rockruff at her heels to join Ash in speaking to the man.

"Ash? Um…who is this?" Serena asked, looking a little sheepish. Ash grimaced, realizing he had forgotten to introduce the man. He turned to do so, but Looker stepped forward.

"I'm a member of the International Police, codename: Looker," he answered, taking out his badge and showing it to all of those surrounding them. Ash didn't feel the need to look, so he stepped back to allow all of the others to. Bonnie was the first to react.

"That's so cool," she noted. "I'm Bonnie, and this is Dedenne."

"And my name is Clemont," Clemont introduced himself. "Always nice to meet another acquaintance of Ash's; he always seems to have so many!"

"Clemont? Ah, the leader of the Lumiose Gym, yes?" Looker said, nodding his head as he stroked his chin sagely. "I hear your Gym has been quite the challenge in recent months. Something about the local hero and a robot taking on all challengers? Though it was no pushover in the years prior from the rumors around the water cooler."

"Oh…thank you," Clemont said, his ears tinging pink a little. Wanting to save his friend from the embarrassment, Ash chose to ask another question.

"So, what  _are_  you doing here, Mr. Looker?" Ash asked. Clemont glanced over to him, mouthing words of thanks as Looker turned his gaze towards him.

"Ah, I'm here to investigate Team Skull," Looker informed him. Ash tensed a little, remembering the battle with the band of thugs in Iki Town. Serena must have noticed his tension, for she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Normally, I'd go undercover either as one of their members or a tourist, but since the Pokémon League is working in conjunction with the International Police on this case, they felt there wasn't a need for it due to agents out in the field."

"Why would the League be involved with a matter like this?" Clemont asked, the flush of his embarrassment fading away. At the same time, Hau asked his own question.

"What's the Pokémon League?" Ash wasn't sure which question should be answered first, though he, himself, was more interested in Clemont's. Thankfully, Looker seemed to have the same thought.

"Because they want to make sure the first ever Alola League goes off without a hitch, is my understanding," Looker told them. Ash's pulse sped up with excitement, his fingers trembling. There was a League! Here! And the first one no less!

"Where? When? How do you enter?" Ash demanded, almost sounding manic. Pikachu was right alongside him until Serena pulled them back before they could do something they'd regret. Looker raised an eyebrow.

"Not entirely sure. It's just been the news through the grapevine at headquarters," the investigator said. Ash looked to Pikachu, both wearing grins on their faces. It felt like too long since they'd had the opportunity to take part in a League, even if it was only really about eight months ago or so. Just hearing about another opportunity to take part in that kind of competition; to take a step forward to their dream by winning it, it sent tingles down their spines.

"Uh, again…what's the League?" Hau asked, though he didn't sound particularly worried.

"The League is a formal organization," Lillie was the one to answer, surprising Ash. "They oversee the government between the regions to ensure peace, holding a tournament in each region yearly, known as the Regional League Conference, as a show of that peace, with the winner typically being able to challenge an Elite Four. Though if they're holding one in Alola, that makes it all rather untraditional."

"You're quite well-informed, Lillie," Clemont said. Lillie flushed a little.

"I…I just like reading!"

"Well, whatever it is, it sounds awesome. Hope they can tell us more soon," Hau insisted with a grin on his face. "Until then, though, we've still got trials to complete."

"Alola, passengers! Akala Island arrival soon!" called a voice over the ferry's loudspeaker. The entire group on the deck turned to face the direction of the island, each of them gasping at the sight.

Looming before them was quite the large island, decorated with palm trees and just as many beaches as Melemele had been. More than that, however, was the giant volcano set right in the center of the island, belching out pure white smoke over the atmosphere. It didn't seem to be harmful whatsoever, but the sight was something spectacular. Off on what looked to be the northwest side of the island looked like some large pools of water, almost situated like a hill, but they disappeared behind the veil of rock that appeared to cover up and enclose the town they were making landfall at.

"Ah, just on time, it would seem," Looker commented, checking at his watch. Ash looked to him for just a second before he and all of his friends ran to the railing to look at the dock that was now approaching. "Hope my contact is waiting at the meeting place when I get there."

"Where are you heading, Mr. Looker?" Serena asked, leaning past Ash to look at the older man.

"Ah, some hotel somewhere on the Island," he answered. Ash nodded, in some part glad that the investigator could trust them with this info. "Hmm…I'm pretty sure you know my contact, actually. ARC?"

"ARC?" Ash and Serena cried out at the same moment. Looker opened his mouth, as if to question them further when a new voice entered into the fray as they began to pull into the harbor.

"Alola! Alola!" Ash looked down to the dock, suddenly far more interested in who was calling for them. It wasn't like they knew anyone on Akala, and even Lillie and Hau appeared interested in who was below. Looker closed his mouth with a smile and then appeared to back up. When Ash next looked, he saw the older man was missing, leaving just the small question on his tongue. Deeming it as unimportant, Ash looked back to the girl waving at them with both hands while shouting greetings. "Are you Hau and Ash?"

"That's totally us! Who are you?" Hau asked cheerily. Lillie appeared to puff her cheeks in Ash's side vision, a fact which Bonnie laughed at, apparently finding it amusing.

"I'm Mallow, captain of the Lush Jungle trial!" the girl called back. As the ferry drew closer, Ash got a better look at the girl. She had long green hair, tied into twintails that stretched all the way down to her lower half, pinned by a flower in her hair. She was also dressed very plain, wearing little but gray coveralls, that only covered up to her mid-thigh, exposing her long legs in the bright sun. "Professor Kukui and Captain Ilima called to inform us of your arrival!"

"Oh, that was nice of them," Hau said, grinning over at Ash. He nodded, catching sight of a burning fire in Hau's eyes. It was like a message passed between the two of them, telling each other that their trial quest was picking up again the second they set foot on Akala. Hau turned back, waving exuberantly. Lillie kept puffing her cheeks, oddly enough, while Serena patted her on the back consolingly. "Nice to meetcha, Mallow!"

"Hee hee, you as well! We'll meet you here on the docks when you disembark in Heahea City!" Mallow said before turning right around and running down towards the ferry terminal just as said ferry began pulling in.

"We?" Ash questioned, thinking the girl must have confused things. Serena shrugged, hitching her bag on her shoulders. Ash sighed a little and reached for his own, calling Rockruff into her pokeball. He wondered where Looker had gone, but knew full well that the man could take care of himself. His mind did think back a bit on his mention of ARC for a brief second until Ash remembered how, many months ago, Lionel had told him they were questing towards the region. Adjusting his bag while the ferry rolled into port, Ash wondered if they'd meet again, but he dismissed the issue in favor of disembarking the ferry.

There was a large stream of passengers exiting from the ship, making their group wait to leave. In the meantime, Serena pulled out her map, remarking that they had arrived (as Mallow said) in Heahea City on Akala Island.

"Seems like it's a real tourist spot," she explained to all of them as they strolled down the deck. Lillie clutched to Serena to make sure she didn't fall off, her shoes sliding on the wooden plank. "The city was founded by trainers from Kanto and Johto apparently."

"Certainly explains how things like the Honor of Kalos Ceremony could be aired here," Clemont observed. Bonnie nodded fervently at his side. Hau listened to them, but judging from the slightly glazed expression in his eyes, Ash was pretty sure that the boy wasn't really paying all that much attention. This proved true when his stomach grumbled.

"Ah, city info is cool and all, but point me to the nearest malasada shop and I'm good to go," he laughed out. He was the first to reach the bottom of the ramp, jumping onto the solid ground. Ash felt his own stomach rumble a bit and realized that it had somehow been a few hours since they'd last eaten at the malasada shop in Hau'oli City. He wasn't sure he (or Pikachu, from his expression) wanted to eat more of those today.

"There's one down the road past the Pokémon Center actually," greeted the same chipper voice that Ash and the others had heard upon their approach to the docks. The group all looked up to see the girl, Mallow, standing there. Her hands were behind her back. Now that he was up close, Ash could tell she had a shirt on underneath her dirty coveralls, which happened to be covered in slight stains. "I actually know the owner there. Good friend of my dad's, and his daughter, the waitress, is a real peach. Isn't that right, Miss Olivia?"

"Quite right. No better malasada than ones made on Akala." The voice that had spoken was cool, crisp, and succeeded by the clopping of sharp heels on the tiles that connected to the dock. Ash turned along with Serena to see the woman who was approaching. His eyebrows raised at her appearance: the woman was barely dressed! From very tight-fitting deep pink shorts (that barely covered her lower area) to a lighter pink top that appeared backless and exposed her midriff. She appeared to be compensating for this by numerous bangles and leg bracelets and necklaces adorning her bronzed skin and dark hair. "The only things better than that on Akala are stones."

"A keeper!" Bonnie suddenly screamed. Before Clemont could stop her, Bonnie had leapt forward on the docks, attracting attention as she spun herself down to one knee. "Oh, miss, please look after my broth-"

"Bonnie is a bother!" Rotom said, clasping both of its hands on the lemon blonde's ears and pulling her back sharply. The woman before them, Olivia, if Ash had to guess, moved her hips a little bit and winked at her.

"What an adorably precocious girl, but do you think your brother could handle me?" she said. The very statement was said so sultrily that Ash found his face heating up without reason. Even Serena seemed to do the same, drawing closer to him and hooking her arm around his waist. It had nothing on Clemont, who looked like he was dying from heat.

"Th-th-th-thank you, b-b-b-b-but I have a girlfriend," Clemont stammered out. Lillie and Hau looked between all of them, as if not understanding the reaction. The woman just threw her head back and laughed.

"Relax, I'm a little too old for you, in my opinion," she said. Having seemingly diffused that tension, she stood forward and held her nailed hand out to both Ash and Hau. "Olivia, the Kahuna of Akala Island."

"You're the Kahuna?" Ash asked. He didn't waste another second to take Olivia's hand and shake it. Hau did so, too, albeit more vigorously than Ash had. She laughed at that.

"You two are just as Kukui and Hala described over the phone: energetic go-getters." Olivia released Hau's hand, cocking her hips to the side with a smirk. As she did so, Ash saw the Z-Ring clank on her wrist. In fact, he also noticed one on Mallow's wrist, both of them similar in style, made with what looked like volcanic, blood-red rocks as the base, opposed to his and Hau's far simpler ones. "Once he mentioned the both of you, meeting you while I was in Heahea became a necessity."

"So, if you're the Kahuna, that means you run the Grand Trial, right?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded his head, agreeing with the question. Olivia began to walk away, her heels clopping on the surface before she turned her body, fingers against her lips.

"Yes. I. Do," she said with another wink. "But no battling me until you've completed your trials on the island. We'll talk, then. Good luck, boys." And just as she arrived, Olivia rounded a corner and disappeared, prompting a laugh from Mallow.

"Sorry about that, guys," she said with her giggle. "Olivia's nice when she wants to be, at least to us captains, but she can be…"

"A bit of a flirt?" Serena questioned. Mallow nodded her head as she looked at Serena.

"She just does it for fun. My friend and fellow captain, Kiawe, is usually the target…gets him as uncomfortable as you can imagine…and he walks around shirtless on a daily basis," Mallow said, laughing once more. Ash found that the shirtless fashion choice was increasingly popular in the region. Mallow began walking backwards, continually facing them as she led them out of the docks and towards the main roads of Heahea City. "Well, welcome to Akala Island, trial-goers!"

"Glad to be here," Ash said, laughing out his own response. "So, you said you're the captain of the Lush Jungle trial?"

"That's right," Mallow said, proudly. "I'm currently taking a  _little_  bit of time off to help my family at the Paniola Ranch, but had some time off, so I came to Heahea City to meet up with Olivia about something when we got the call, so here I am! It's really nice to meet some trial-goers before they come to my trial!"

"Lush Jungle…" Serena muttered out, quickly tapping the location into her map in order to look it up. "It's way to the north of the island, past a location called Brooklet Hill. See?"

Ash leaned in to look. Hau did the same, skirting around to the other side to stare in on the map. Neither seemed the most literate at reading maps, prompting Serena to point at the location on the screen before tracing it along to Brooklet Hill and then down to their location in Heahea City. It seemed like it would probably take some time to reach the trial location, something he chose to ask of the captain leading them through the streets.

"So, you're all the way on the other end of the island?" Mallow nodded cheerfully.

"It's a bit of a trek, I'll admit, which is why travelers and trial-goers usually go and take Lana's trial at Brooklet Hill or Kiawe's at the Wela Volcano," she admitted. Ash was trying to keep all the names and places straight in his head, though it did cause it to spin a little. Pikachu simply tapped him on the cheek to bring him back to reality.

"Sounds a little…"

"Confusing?" Mallow chuckled out, finally pulling to a stop. Ash looked around, realizing they were at a crossroad of sorts. All around them, people were milling about, some with shopping bags while others were simply strolling with their Pokémon. "Don't worry about it, you'll get used to it as you travel the island. After all, that's what the Pilgrimage is all about!"

"Yeah!" Ash said, holding his fist up. Mallow smiled back at him, as if to let him know that she was grateful to have helped him out. He was, of course, having not expected such red-carpet service the second they'd arrived on the island.

"Well, if that's the case, we gotta get started!" Hau said, jumping into the air, Pipi attached to his backpack. "I gotta clear the trials so I can beat Olivia."

"Yeah, well so am I," Ash insisted, leaning across Serena towards his rival. Hau also leaned in, causing Serena to back up a bit. She appeared to share a look with their new friend in Mallow, but Ash couldn't discern what it was from his position. "I'm gonna have the trials and Olivia cleared in a week."

"Well, I'll try to have it all done in four days! One for each!"

"Pika!" Pipi said, nodding with her trainer.

"Kachu…" Pikachu responded instead, wagging his finger like he was scolding her.

"Well, then I'll have it done by tonight!"

"Don't be ridiculous…" Bonnie said. Ash turned his head to the girl, noticing that Clemont was shaking his head while Lillie looked between the two boys with concern, as if she thought they were fighting; in some way, she needed to lighten up.

"All right, how about this, then," Hau suggested as the two boys stood back up to their full heights, Ash slightly taller than he was. "We compete to see who can get their trials done on Akala the fastest. Whoever loses…has to plan a date for the winner!"

"Deal!" Ash said, reaching out to clasp Hau's hand before he even had a chance to think of the implications of what he'd just said. At the same time, he was pretty sure even Hau hadn't thought of the implications. Serena only reacted by slapping a hand to her face, like she was embarrassed by the whole thing. Regardless, a deal was a deal, and a promise, a promise. When Hau retracted his hand, he threw it into the air.

"All right, Pipi, let's get started! First up, malasada restock time for the road ahead!" Hau shouted before turning on his feet and dashing right down a street. Mallow gave a sudden shout, but she was overridden by the energetic boy. "Just you wait, Ash, you'll be planning that date for me soon enough!"

"Not if he can't even find his way to the malasada shop," Mallow muttered out under his breath. "You're going the wrong…oh, for the love of…"

"Hau is very energetic," Lillie giggled out a moment, though she was shaking her head as she did so. "It's an admirable quality, but quickly gets him into trouble."

"I can tell," Mallow said. "He didn't even wait to listen. I was going to say that the Wela Volcano trial isn't open right now for…reasons. Kiawe was vague on the details…oh well."

"Maybe we should tell him, then?" Lillie asked.

"If everyone tells Hau, then Hau will have an equal advantage with Ash, which would not bode well for their challenge," Rotom pointed out. Ash just shook his head, reaching out to grab ahold of Serena and then putting his arm over Clemont's shoulders.

"Nah, you should tell him, Lillie. I've got all the advantage I need with you guys right here," he pointed out with his usual grin. "With our group of six, we'll be unstoppable."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu confirmed. Lillie nodded, her braids flying as she ran forward a little in the direction that Hau had seemed to dash off.

"Very well, why don't we all meet at the Pokémon Center for dinner?" she asked.

"Hey, that sounds like an idea," Mallow said with her own grin. Ash and Serena both looked to her. "Sorry, just been a while since I've eaten something I didn't cook on my own or wasn't for customers. Mind if I were to join you? I could even escort you as far as the Paniola Ranch."

"That sounds like a lovely idea. Thank you, Mallow," Serena said kindly. Mallow beamed at her and then hooked her arm with Lillie's.

"Come on, Lillie, is it? Let's find your boyfriend and guide him over to the malasada shop posthaste!" she stated positively, throwing a fist into the air. Lillie stammered ineffectively, like she was protesting one of Mallow's statements, but simply couldn't find the words. The point proved moot in seconds when Mallow began to drag her off. Lillie could only cry slight tears of embarrassment as she waved. "Though it seems like he could find a malasada a mile away. Let's see if we can beat him…"

"And there she goes…" Serena said, still waving after the despondent Lillie. "Nice girl. It should help to have a travel guide around Akala, though, especially one who understands the trial system so well."

"She did only offer to help us as far as Paniola Ranch, though," Clemont pointed out. Ash nodded his head, finding he had a point. As he thought about their new, temporary, travel companion, he realized it was a slight advantage he had over Hau, but one he'd accept nonetheless. Traveling in a group of four and needing to get to Serena's Ceremonies, wherever they would be, would be all the advantage Hau would need. He was still determined to win it, though.

"That should be just fine," he finally said aloud, pumping his fist. A sudden movement caught his eye, and Ash turned to see Bonnie running some small distance away. He wasn't the only one to have seen it.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?" Serena asked sweetly. Bonnie didn't answer for a moment, her hands digging into a bush momentarily. Ash started walking towards her, only to stop. He looked to the side, thinking he'd seen a flash of green, but quickly realized it was a palm tree swaying in the wind. Bonnie finally pulled back, looking a little upset.

"I thought I saw Squishy," she said. "Or…it looked like Squishy." The group fell silent, glancing around at one another. Rotom floated forward, snapping a picture of the contents of the bush she had been looking into. The picture was empty but for the branches and leaves.

"You must be tired, Bonnie," Clemont suggested. Bonnie's face wavered a second, looking upset, but she eventually nodded. "Maybe we should go to the Pokémon Center for now, and explore the town after dinner."

"Okay…" Bonnie said, looking sadly down at Dedenne. "I could have sworn…"

"Dene?" Dedenne asked, looking up at her worriedly. She reached out to stroke his fur absentmindedly.

"I'm okay, Dedenne. Clemont's right; I'm just tired," she assured him. As her demeanor passed, she put a smile back on her face and reached out to grab Rotom suddenly.

"Ah! Rotom does not like being manhandled!"

"Come on, Rotom, let's go to the Pokémon Center!" she said cheerily, though it left Ash wondering just how much of it was forced. "You two have fun, Ash and Serena!"

"Ah, I guess we'll see you at dinner," Clemont said, realizing that his sister was already running off far ahead of him to the building with the pokeball on it. He bowed a little and then took off, leaving the couple alone for the first time in what felt like forever. Ash had to admit that he appreciated it, especially with their last attempt at a date being interrupted. His stomach was rumbling, though.

"Guess we should get some food  _before_  dinner, huh?" Serena suggested. Instead of taking his hand this time, Serena locked her arm in his, coming close to him before she pointed to what looked like a café and ice cream stand down the main street, towards a large hotel and past a giant bulletin board.

"It's a date," Ash chuckled out. Serena appeared to like the mention of that, for she reached up to kiss him on the cheek as they walked on. Some people in the city took notice of that and appeared to smile at the sight. In fact, as they walked along, Ash noticed that many others were staring at them, as though they were recognizable. That was when Ash remembered what Serena had told him about the town; if it was such a tourist location and founded by people from Kanto, perhaps recognizing a "hero" from Kanto wasn't exactly a stretch. Wanting to keep his mind away from such a thing, Ash posed a question. "I wonder if we can find information on your next Ceremony…"

"I hope so," Serena pointed out, though a grimace passed over her face moments later. "Though I'm not looking forward to running into  _him_  again."

"Oh, right," Ash said. He'd completely forgotten about the boy from her first Ceremony, Keoni. He preferred it that way. Letting his eyes wander off, Ash directed them to the bulletin board, flyers upon it that were waving slightly in the wind. A brightly colored one stood out to him, and he somehow started dragging Serena over to it.

"Pikapi…?" Pikachu asked, drawing Serena's attention to it as well.

Come and Take Part In…

THE BATTLE ROYAL!

Ash reached for the flyer and, realizing there were no others on the board, looked in towards it. It seemed to be a battle tournament held over in another town somewhere on Akala featuring the "unique style to Alola" supposedly. Whatever it was, the bright colors and words proclaiming "BATTLE TOURNAMENT" somewhere on the island got him just as excited as the trials and his bet against Hau did. He knew he'd have to check it out sometime, probably after defeating Olivia (he wasn't going to lose that bet, after all).

"Ah!" Serena's voice called, dragging Ash away from the flyer and over to another one which was far more informative. "Here we are, there's going to be a Leilani Ceremony held right here in Heahea City!"

"That's great!" Ash said, hugging her a little tighter to himself. However, he also noticed her face falling a bit with a sigh.

"It's not for almost two weeks, though," Serena pointed out. Ash leaned in to see the marking on the flyer showing that, just as Serena said, the date there indicated it would be another two weeks before the Ceremony would be held at the Tide Song Hotel, clearly the gleaming building in the distance. His stomach churned again with hunger. "Ah, well, that gives us some time to travel for your trials and make it back on time, yeah?"

"I guess so," Ash admitted, feeling just a little guilty. He really did want to watch and support Serena in her Ceremony, but the second she mentioned it wasn't to happen for another two weeks, he became relieved; he really wanted to get a start on his Akala trials.

"Don't worry about it, Ash," she said, still hooked to his arm as they tore themselves away from the bulletin board in order to approach the café and take a seat. A waitress from behind the open-air counter immediately bustled up to take their order. "Truth be told, I'm grateful for the time to practice. I know that me and Braixen can learn that new move, and I want time for Popplio to fit in with the rest of the team."

"Sounds good to me," Ash said with a laugh before turning to the waitress and ordering a sandwich. Serena did the same. The girl took the orders down but lingered a moment, as if staring at them. She opened her mouth, but then shut it and bustled off. "To be honest, I really wanted to get started on the Akala trials right away."

"Of course, you have a bet to win now," Serena said. She took a moment and then winked at him. "I'm going to help you win that bet no matter what."

"You just want another date, don't you?" Serena giggled at that one, confirming his own thoughts. He had to laugh at it while Pikachu stared between the two of them, yawning in his boredom while they waited for their food.

Ash sat back, taking the moment to relax and enjoy the date. It felt like it had been a while for them to just do things together; eating, walking the town, and meeting new people as a couple had seemed to become sudden luxuries. The waitress returned with their sandwiches, the raven-haired trainer setting into his right away. As he ate, he looked over at Serena, who was staring off wistfully. He figured she was probably thinking of how to practice for her next Ceremony…a thought which inevitably led back to Keoni, of all things. His fingers dug uncomfortably into his sandwich while Pikachu ate a smaller one. He didn't like that boy, making him feel inadequate just because he wasn't wearing fancy clothes or was from somewhere like Kanto and Pallet Town. It reminded him of Trip, just a little, but to a much further extent.

"Ash, are you okay?" Serena asked and Ash realized he was squeezing his sandwich a little  _too_  hard. He looked up to his girlfriend's clear blue eyes, staring at him in concern. Ash was glad to see them, but a small nugget in the back of his brain made him wonder if she'd ever look at Keoni that way. It made him suddenly feel like a very poor boyfriend and trainer.

"Just…uh, thinking," Ash told her. She didn't look sold on it, so he sighed and decided to approach the topic as vaguely as possible. "Serena, you're not…um, we're gonna stay together, right?"

"Of course. What brought this on?" she asked. Ash shook his head; he didn't want to admit the small kernel of fear that was in him. Serena, however, seemed to pick up on it, for she reached across and took his hand. "Ash, we promised, remember? I'll always stand by you, even when I become Kalos Queen and you become a Pokémon Master."

_Why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?_  Ash swallowed and nodded. He really hated his thoughts bubbling up like this. He still squeezed Serena's hand as thanks for the encouragement, which she accepted before returning to her sandwich. Feeling marginally better about his uncharacteristic thoughts, Ash finished consuming the rest of his sandwich before looking over to the ice cream stand. He wasn't alone in the thought as Pikachu was staring over at it longingly as well.

"I'll go get us some ice cream!" Ash announced, standing. Serena nodded from her chair as he did so. Once Pikachu had jumped back on his shoulder, he skirted around the table, aiming for the surprisingly long line at the ice cream stand. Taking his place at the end of it, Ash waited on the balls of his feet, occasionally glancing across at Serena, who was now chatting with the waitress from earlier. "Wonder what's taking so long…?"

"Pi…ka…" Pikachu said, his own tone questioning. Ash frowned a bit and looked around the long line. From where he stood, it seemed like there was someone at the front of the line holding it all up as they deliberated over a decision. His eyes squinted, trying to see just who was holding the line up when he noticed what seemed to be a very familiar mane of blonde hair and black hair decorations. Like he was on autopilot, Ash walked forward, around the edge of the line.

"Sorry, excuse me," he said, carefully avoiding any disgruntled gazes that surrounded him. Finally, he reached the front of the line and his suspicions were confirmed. "Cynthia! Alola!"

"Alo…Ash!" Said boy grinned as the woman, now easily identifiable as the Sinnoh League Champion, turned to look at him. Her hand seemed to fall on a large menu and the man behind the counter bustled around, coming back with a vanilla ice cream cone with chocolate sprinkles on it. "Ah, well, I suppose I'll go with this. Thank you much."

"Anytime, ma'am," the vendor said, wiping some sweat from his brow before calling for the next customer. Cynthia stepped away and Ash noticed she was dressed in the same clothes she had been during her stay in Unova.

"I had no idea you'd even be in the Alola region," Ash said. Mostly, he wasn't aware that Champions had the time off to do things like vacation, especially since even in Unova she had been there for the Junior Cup. "Catching up on vacation time?"

"Hardly, actually," Cynthia admitted, her eyes rolling a little. She licked at her ice cream a little before answering Ash's question. "I'm here on business to Poni Island."

"Poni?" Ash asked, thinking he'd have to ask Serena to look it up later, though she was still lost in conversation with the waitress. Cynthia nodded, deciding to just eat her ice cream as quickly as she could.

"It's one of the smallest of Alola's islands, but the League is sponsoring a battle facility there," Cynthia admitted. "I'm meant to meet with the representative of the Battle Tree here in Heahea, but I got a little hungry waiting, I'll admit."

"The Battle Tree…" Ash noted, looking to Pikachu, as if asking him to help him remember everything. That was when a thought hit him. "Oh, I heard Alola is going to be having a League."

"You'd be correct. We Champions signed the order a few weeks ago," she told him. The Champion began to walk off, and Ash made quick to follow after, though only to the sidewalk that ran back to the hotel. When they did, Cynthia turned back to Ash, a soft smile on her lips, gazing at both he and Pikachu. "No doubt you're looking to participate."

"Sure am," Ash said, pumping his fist in conjunction with Pikachu. Cynthia raised a hand and giggled a little. "But...uh…without Gyms…"

"Oh, we've done a workaround for that," she said, waving her hand a bit. As she did so, she checked the thin watch on her wrist and seemed to realize what time it was. "You'll have to ask Professor Kukui about that, though. He's been the pioneer behind it…at least until the official announcement is made soon."

"Kukui?" Ash questioned, though Cynthia offered no response. He did have to wonder why the professor had never said anything to him, but let it slide, considering the professor had been of so much help over the last couple weeks. Cynthia turned back towards the hotel.

"I wouldn't worry, Ash," she said, her head looking towards him a moment. "Your trials going well?"

"How did you…?" Ash began to ask before realizing he already knew the answer. Kukui. It brought him back for just a second to that flash in the battle against him before the first trial. How he felt suddenly impossible to surpass, and frightening. There was no doubt that if Kukui was in contact with the League regarding a conference, he was apparently keeping the Champions apprised of his own progress. It made him feel just a little put upon in expectations. "They're going great. Right, buddy?"

"Pi," Pikachu agreed. Cynthia continued to smile, checking her watch once more.

"That's good to know," she said. "I'll look forward to seeing you in the conference here, then, assuming I'm still around for that time. Pay a visit when you come by Poni Island."

"Sure thing," Ash told her. She took that as an invitation to depart, walking towards the Tide Song Hotel at a clipped pace. Ash watched her, suddenly realizing all the questions about her presence that he hadn't asked. It simply felt so random.  _But so did meeting Looker…_ Ash shook his head, spinning on his feet to face Serena once more. "Oh, well, unimportant. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered, and the duo returned to Serena. The waitress noticed them approaching and decided to bow, leaving with what appeared to be payment for the meal. Serena stood, looking up at them.

"No ice cream?" she asked, slinging her bag back on her shoulders.

"Long line," Ash said. "That and I ran into someone. When you said this place was full of tourists, you weren't kidding. Though, I guess we could be considered tourists, too, huh?"

"I guess…if still popular tourists here. That waitress was very enamored with the both of us, but she was nice," Serena told him, hooking her arm with his again. "So, where do we want to go now?"

"I don't know…we've got a few hours, so let's just tour the city," Ash suggested. Serena appeared to like that suggestion, squeezing his arm as the two strolled through the city.

Now that he was fed, Ash was able to notice a lot more regarding the city. It wasn't the same as the ones he was used to; no skyscrapers, no bustling cars. For being such a huge tourist attraction, the streets may have been bustling, but it was all remarkably relaxed. Vendors were around the town selling their wares while some people were dressed in beach day clothes, especially those leaving from the Tide Song Hotel. Which, incidentally, Serena had chosen to explore. Thankfully, they were allowed to do so, even being allowed out to the pool area in an enclosure which also seemed to contain the stage for the Leilani Ceremony. Ash noticed it looked even more similar to a Contest stage than before, no doubt due to the Kantonian influence.

"We're going to have to work real hard to win this next Ceremony," Serena whispered as she stood before the stage. Ash nodded, understanding that, in some way, Serena was feeling the same kind of apprehension he was feeling from time to time.

"You'll do it," he assured her. It was obviously something she appreciated, because she squeezed his hand as the two made to leave the hotel. Ash was certain he saw Cynthia in the hotel lobby once more, but was unable to catch sight of who she was meeting with before he was out the door and back on the streets of Heahea City.

Following their excursion at the hotel, the couple decided to go more along the boardwalk and see what shops were in that direction, especially with their close proximity to the Pokémon Center. As they proceeded that way, this time able to stop for ice cream since the line had dwindled, more and more people were filling the streets. Ash wasn't sure if it was because time was stretching on towards dinner or if it was just the beach factor, but he started to find it a struggle just to hold on to Serena.

"Sorry," he apologized after bumping into one girl on the way to the boardwalk. Said girl was obviously on her way back from the beach, a large fishing pole slung over her shoulder. Otherwise, she was wearing large blue pants and goggles over her eyes. She lifted said goggles up to look at him, saying nothing. Ash grinned at her before he felt Serena tugging on his hand.

"No problem," the girl said, her head tilted in curiosity. As he left, he could have sworn he heard the girl mention something about "swimmer boys" but before he could double check his hearing, the girl was back to walking towards the exit from the city, whistling as she went. Finally, the couple (and Pikachu) broke out of the crush of the crowd to find some relief.

"Maybe the beach was a bad idea, huh? Seems pretty popular," Serena noted, resting against a railing on the boardwalk. Ash leaned against it with her, nodding his head. Breathing in, the sound of the waves reached his ears, soothing him. He turned to try and look at the beach they were at, stopping to stare at Serena and her smile in the beginning-to-set sun. She really was beautiful at this time of day. Ash leaned forward, hoping to kiss her until he caught sight of someone standing on the beach.

"Is that Lillie?" Ash asked. The moment having broken, Serena turned to look and both were finally able to discern the sight of Lillie on the beach, bare feet dipped into the water and Nebby clenched in her arms. Serena made the first move, climbing up the railing to jump on to the beach. Ash averted his eyes as her skirt flared outward, though he quickly followed suit. They landed on the sand and walked towards the girl, who seemed almost oblivious to anything going on around her.

"Lillie?" Serena asked. The girl jumped a little, turning and revealing the sleeping Nebby in her arms. "Everything okay? Where's Hau?"

"Oh…he left," Lillie said, tucking one of her braids back as best as she could. "And Mallow was at the malasada shop when I left her."

"Then what brings you here?" Ash asked her. Lillie just lifted Nebby up, giving the boy his answer. He was clearly a little troublemaker, running off at any point in time. At the very least, Lillie had managed to catch up with him…though as Ash looked, he noticed that her shoes were missing. However, she didn't seem too concerned with it, turning back to look out over the ocean, tinged in orange and yellow. Ash and Serena came to stand on either side of her. Turning his head, Ash noticed how tensed Lillie looked, so he reached over and put a hand on her head, given that she was slightly shorter than him. She appeared to blink in surprise. "You can talk to us, you know."

"I know," Lillie uttered softly. "I just…I like watching the ocean. It helps me calm down. That's why I liked Professor Kukui's so much."

"It's certainly a beautiful sight," Serena agreed. As she said this, his girlfriend lowered her hands to take Lillie's arm and lock it in hers. "I'm sure there are many more beautiful sights we'll share…but that means a lot of walking to get to those places. Which means shoes."

"Shoes?" Lillie asked, looking down and realizing that she had lost hers, likely in pursuit of Nebby. "Oh no, I lost my shoes! Oh…where did I leave them?"

"Lillie, it's all right," Serena assured her. Lillie shook her head fearfully, her whole body shaking with the action. It was a surprise Nebby didn't wake up from it.

"No, no, you don't understand!" Lillie cried out, and she sounded genuinely upset. "I can't lose my shoes…I just can't!"

"Lillie!" Serena snapped suddenly. It wasn't harsh, but stern in a loving way as she reached up to grab the blonde's shoulders. "They're just shoes. All we have to do is buy some new ones."

"Which means shopping…doesn't it?" Ash groaned. Serena smiled at it and he had to force himself to rein in a sigh. Lillie appeared to still be absolutely frightened by the fact that she lost her shoes, but at the mention of shopping, her eyes lit up. Ash was really starting to wonder if this was a girl thing, but not wanting to interrupt their date time, he followed after his girlfriend willingly.

Serena simply escorted them from the beach and to a clothing shop that just happened to be near the waterfront. Thankfully, the place wasn't too busy with people at this time, allowing Ash to find a place to sit. This was going to take a while…

He wasn't too far off, either. While the girls were only shopping for shoes, Lillie appeared quite enamored with all of the different garments that were available, including a rather modest line designed by the mogul of fashion herself, Miss Akela. Serena appeared to take a shine towards it for the girl, as well. It was here that Ash seemed to figure out why Lillie had been so averse to losing her shoes.

"I think they'd look really cute on you," Serena said, holding up the clothes to Lillie's figure in the full-length mirror. Lillie reached out for the clothes with a shaking hand, taking the white shirt, hood attached, along with the matching skirt. Serena stepped away to let the girl look at herself.

"Th-they are  _very_  nice," the blonde admitted. "But I couldn't!"

"There's nothing wrong with just buying them. You don't have to  _wear_  them," Ash pointed out to her. Lillie jumped at the thought. She still had the frightened expression, yet Ash could see something else behind those eyes; something free, a light of hope.

"But we do need to find you shoes," Serena said. "You can't go traveling without a good pair of shoes. Your feet will hurt otherwise."

"I-I know, it's just…my mother…"

"Your mother?" Lillie didn't seem sure how to answer Serena's query. After a moment of receiving the pair's stares, she sighed a little, placing Nebby back in her bag the best she could before handing the clothes to Serena.

"Well, she made me these clothes, and I can't really imagine wearing anything different," Lillie said. There was a tinge of sadness to her voice, causing Ash and Serena to look at each other. With that single glance, they both decided to back off of the issue. Clearly the subject of her mother was upsetting; Ash had to wonder if she'd lost her. After all, he'd yet to share his own loss with the blonde.

"Well, there's still no harm in buying it," Serena said, affixing a smile back to her face. "I'll get it for you as a gift. Why don't you pick out a nice pair of walking shoes and we'll head to the register to ring it up?"

"O-okay," she said, nodding this time. Whatever was holding her back looked to have diminished, allowing the girl to look at the racks of shoes with enthusiasm. Unlike when Serena shopped for fun (not that he minded…though he'd never admit it aloud) Lillie took far less time to pick out a nice pair of sensible, white traveling shoes which she took to the counter. Ash just sat back and waited for the girls to return from the counter, Serena's gift for Lillie in a paper bag and the new shoes around said girl's feet.

"How do they feel?" Serena asked as the trio was on their way back to the Pokémon Center (well, Pikachu was currently in Ash's arms, having fallen asleep during the process…he almost envied him).

"They feel nice!" Lillie admitted, a little grin on her face. "Thank you very much! I feel like I can walk a million miles!"

"They'll be put to good use, for sure," Ash pointed out. Lillie just pumped both of her arms, like she was ensuring that she could take it. The positive attitude floated to all of them as they finally approached the Pokémon Center. Through the window, Ash could see Clemont, Bonnie, and an obviously returned Mallow gathered around a table. Clemont happened to catch sight of them through the glass and he waved at them as they entered inside.

"Oh, good…I thought I'd lost you, Lillie," Mallow said with relief, placing a hand to her chest. "Some captain I would have been if that was the case…"

"No, sorry, it's my fault," Lillie insisted, taking a seat upon one of the open chairs. "Besides, I had to see Hau off…though I'm sure he's going to get lost sooner than later."

"Yeah, he seemed like that kind of guy," Mallow laughed out. The laugh passed around the table, prompting Ash and Serena to take their seats on either side of Lillie. Mallow soon joined them. "But! Great news: my friend and fellow captain, Lana, is returning to Brooklet Hill to open the trial site again. She's stopping at a few fishing holes along the way, but since I have to work a little longer when we get to the ranch, I figured I'd suggest it to you. Now, how about some food?"

"Sounds good to me!" Ash answered to both, just as Nurse Joy approached with a platter of food for them to eat. Mallow quickly began talking up a storm when Serena asked her about their stop on the way to Brooklet Hill (now the obvious destination). From talks of Tauros and Miltank, Rotom interrupting to fill in its data, to some of her own duties, while avoiding any mention of her trial, everyone at the table quickly got invested. Even Pikachu and Dedenne put their food down for a minute to listen.

Perhaps the most fulfilling thing that dinner, though, wasn't knowing where his next trial was, or where Hau was going, or Mallow's talk of all the Pokémon (no matter how much they interested him); no, it was something else. It was the smile on Lillie's face, brimming with the joy that Serena had given her. And for the first time since he had started dating Serena, since he had fallen in love with her, had he truly realized what a wonderful Queen and mother she would someday be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Yay for more exposition chapters! Really, that's what this was. Between introducing Mallow, Olivia and bringing Looker and Cynthia into the story I had to cover a lot in this chapter. Now, will all of these characters be semi-important? Of course! Will they be important right now? Except for Mallow, no. As this is designed as a trilogy, I have a little more leeway with how I use my characters. Nonetheless, they're set up for now.
> 
> However, the much bigger issue at hand is Lillie, particularly in regards to Ash and Serena. If you haven't noticed (and it's okay if you haven't), she's a bit like a daughter to Ash and Serena by this point, despite being close in age. Will there be any "let's be parents" discussions between the couple? No. But this is an aspect of their relationship maturing, alongside something else for the future (which I also planted the seed for this chapter). I hope that makes sense. Just assume it's part and parcel of the "we'll be together forever" deal.
> 
> Encouragement keeps me writing strong on this trilogy, so help me stay the course. Of course, you know you can do that by giving a Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	16. An Egg

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, guys, Anabel will not appear in the story. Would muddle up the plot for ultimately pointless drama and make little sense given the Anabel we know from the anime. But enough of that, Chapter 16 time!

Chapter 16

An Egg

Jessie was in a bad mood. Not that she wasn't always, but it was showing particularly well today, James thought.

"Ugh, let's just steal the twerp's Pikachu and be done with it!" she had snapped at one point, their entire group floating along carelessly in their balloon. James would have placed his sandwich down, but knew what could happen to it if he did, so he finished eating it.

"Yeah, dat's worked so well for us in da past…" Meowth said sardonically, cutting his own sandwich into bite sized pieces before swallowing. Wobbuffet nodded his head, portioning out more sandwiches to Inkay, Gourgeist and Crabrawler, the latter easily gorging himself on two at a time. James patted the boisterous crab on its head before looking to Jessie, who looked ready to tear Meowth's whiskers out.

"Are you challenging my authority, Meowth? !" she screeched. James would have covered his ears, but he was used to Jessie throwing her daily fits of rage. Any time she wasn't allowed to supposedly display her beauty on the stage was a time wasted. Well, if they weren't going after Pikachu. Granted, there was a major dearth of that since they'd entered Alola. Truth be told, they'd barely gone after the twerps at all, something that the whole group took initiative to change once they hit Akala.

"I'm not challengin' your authority, Jess, but I ain't lookin' forward to gettin' blasted off again cuz of your poor plannin'," Meowth shot back. James' two companions quickly got in each other's faces, causing the blue haired man to heave a sigh. Neither appeared to notice that he did so, and he stood and stretched as a result. Inkay floated up near him, cuddling against his face, while Crabrawler clambered up the basket, clicking his claws.

James heaved yet another sigh as Jessie and Meowth seemed to dive right at each other this time, Wobbuffet being a very poor mediator in the center of their little mess, clattering their lunch table to the floor of the balloon. With the both of them occupied, James turned his attention to the road below. They were currently hovering in place over a patch of trees, obscured from view (something James had learned from the science twerp during their battle against DARC all those months ago).

"Braixen, use Fire Spin one more time!" the twerpette's voice called from a clearing in the forest below. Well, less a forest and turning more jungle-esque in James' opinion. Her voice calling out didn't seem to stop Jessie and Meowth from fighting, but it did make James take out his binoculars. As he adjusted them, patting Crabrawler absentmindedly, his mind slowly fluttered back to their whirlwind of an adventure through Alola, specifically the island they were now busy stalk…er, pursuing the twerps on.

It hadn't been easy, blasted off by that Skull girl and being forced to scramble and make it back to Iki Town in order to spy on the twerps and learn their next location, all just so they could take the ferry from Hau'oli City. Then there was the lunchbox man, Looker. He was a wrench they certainly didn't expect in their plans, something which Jessie made a comment on when they watched him interact with the twerps. Well…less comment and more complaint.

"Not the lunchbox guy again!" she moaned out as James and Meowth pulled her back out of sight so she wouldn't be seen. "With him around, we can't just go capture Pikachu and expose ourselves and Team Rocket."

"Yeah, cuz we were makin' so much progress," Meowth commented sardonically. That seemed to set off the spark of argument between the two that hadn't stopped since. Even arriving in Heahea City and learning about the Ceremony that would take place there hadn't dulled their fighting instinct.

_Probably because Jessie couldn't earn a Lei on Melemele Island…_ James reasoned to himself. Since then, they had kept a surprisingly low profile as they tracked the twerps from Heahea City to here, looking for the perfect place to strike. After all, they had no word on where Team Skull could be, and even if Looker had mentioned ARC, they had lost the man somewhere in Heahea. And as for Pikachu…

"Oh, go cough up a furball!"

"Yeah? Maybe you should remove da pimple from your face!"

"How dare you insult my face!" James sighed  _again_  as Wobbuffet quickly got caught in the crossfire. Those two simply hadn't stopped fighting, allowing them no time to plan in the last few days between eating, sleeping and watching, for the simple fact that they couldn't seem to agree on anything. It made James worry if the boss was to call.

"Craba?" Crabrawler asked of his sigh.

"It's nothing, Crabrawler," James told him, finally affixing his binoculars on the twerpette below. Looking across at the opponent she and her Braixen were facing, he kept remarking on her as "unfamiliar twerpette", one that they seemed to have picked up in the city. The balloon rocked a bit as James looked between the two females, the twerpette's Braixen sending a Fire Spin out. For some reason, he took a small point of pride, remembering how he'd helped her understand Braixen's feelings in Kalos. The feeling happened to double as the Fire Spin flashed with a different color, converging on a single point of the unfamiliar twerpette's new Pokémon, one James had identified as a Tsareena.

Said Tsareena was impacted and the mini twerpette cheered. James shifted his gaze to the unfamiliar one, particularly honing in on the strange bracelet around her wrist. Pulling out his data recorder and thumbing through it, he pulled up an image of the one he'd seen around the twerp's own wrist.

"Tsareena, let's show them what Bloom Doom can do," the unfamiliar twerpette cried. "Maybe if Serena gets a better look at it, it'll help her learn that new move."

"This should be good. Let's watch, Dartrix, it might be important for later," the twerp said. James focused his binoculars once again as the new girl crossed her arms in front of herself, her Z-Ring glowing brightly, before she clasped her palms together like praying; Tsareena imitated her. The twerp's Dartrix was watching with self-proclaimed awe as the twerpette raised her clasped hands to the sky and then split them open, like a flower in bloom. Funnily enough, that was exactly what happened: a field of flowers encircled the Tsareena and the twerpette's Braixen before a great, golden bloom sprouted from the ground, enveloping Braixen before exploding. The resulting blast rocked the balloon slightly, though not as much as the grappling Jessie and Meowth.

"Z-Moves, hmm…?" James said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. They had certainly stumbled upon a bevy of information regarding Alola; one they'd have to report to Giovanni sooner than later. Scrolling through, he saw all the, surprisingly easy to come by, information they'd gotten on Z-Moves. How the user required a Z-Ring and a Z-Crystal corresponding to type. How they did different dance movements to channel the power between them. Beyond that, information was scant, as not everyone had a Z-Ring; only those who had cleared a Grand Trial. The balloon rocked again as James heard the twerpette saying what a help it was for controlling a move, this time nearly pitching over. "Will the two of you stop it before we crash and the twerps notice us?"

"What are da twoips up to?" Meowth asked as he pulled at Jessie's mouth. The woman had him held over the tilting edge of the balloon.

"Training like always with those Z-Moves of theirs…though I haven't seen the twerp use one yet," James mused thoughtfully. It was followed up with a shudder; he really didn't  _want_  the twerp to use one on them. "Otherwise they're on the move, as usual."

"Will they never stop? We need our chance to nab Pikachu!"

"And our other mission, Jess, but I guess you're too dumb to realize dat," Meowth snickered out. That resumed their fighting.

"Are we really going through our obligatory once-a-region split moment?" James asked. Jessie stopped her attempt to throttle Meowth, and the blue-haired man figured that he'd finally gotten through to her. Well, he thought that way for a second. It was quickly disproven when she threw Meowth aside, into Wobbuffet's arms.

"James, what's that Pokémon? !" she demanded, reaching over to grab him by the collar and dragging him. James choked a moment before looking down into the forest below where a Pokémon, which looked quite like a pink-striped stuffed bear was tilting its head, looking at them curiously. Freeing himself from Jessie, James took out his electronic database, looking through it.

"A Stufful."

"It's so adorable! Why, its mere presence would make me look more beautiful in a Ceremony!" Jessie said, herself sparkling as she spoke. Meowth spoke under his breath, no doubt saying something snarky about Jessie's looks. Thankfully, their magenta-haired "leader" ignored it. "I've decided. I'm going to capture it!"

"But what about the twerps…?" James questioned, especially once he saw the Stufful turn and begin running off into the woods, like it was leading them on a merry chase. Jessie didn't answer, instead snatching his binoculars to look around.

"We're not going to bother with them while they're training, and it looks like there's some sort of farming town up ahead," Jessie snapped at him, tossing the binoculars back. "We'll snatch the twerp's Pikachu and a couple bonuses while they stop there. You know the twerps can't resist helping people out. Now, let's go! Stufful, come back, mommy's here!"

"She's gone absolutely bonkers…" Meowth said, rubbing his neck. James had to agree as he did the same. Either way, he still navigated the balloon to change direction and head straight for the Stufful that was now the apple of Jessie's eye. This was going to be a  _very_  long mission.

* * *

"Welcome to Paniola Town! Home of the Paniola Ranch!" Mallow's voice echoed across the quiet and dusty town before them, her arms outstretched proudly. "The ranch here on Akala makes milk and various other farmable goods for consumption all over Alola! It's hard work, like I mentioned, but fulfilling."

"It looks really cool," Ash commented, glancing around. Like just about every other place in Alola, the people caught sight of them and waved cheerfully. He was pretty sure he'd never seen such a cheerful region before. He was also sure that, to his surprise, Clemont had never been in such an area before.

"Ah! The Aerator Max 3000! I've only ever seen one in a catalog before!" he said, running over to a machine that was hooked up to some Tauros. Mallow stepped over, as if to unveil it.

As she did so, Ash watched the perky green-haired girl. It had seemed almost like random chance that they had met her in Heahea (well, not entirely random), but having her along the last couple days as they had departed from the city had been quite the boon. Not only for getting to know the girl and her Tsareena, which Rotom gushed over only to get stomped onto the ground, but also for seeing her Grass type Z-Move in action. Not that he'd been able to master even Breakneck Blitz, no matter how much he tried with both Pikachu and Pikipek.

Serena, on the other hand, had made much more progress with the captain as her tutor. Braixen seemed incredibly close to being able to turn Fire Spin into something more. It made Ash partially wonder how much more he and his team could grow with an appropriate teacher.

"Ah, what a cutie!" Bonnie suddenly exclaimed, running over to what looked like a little pony, eating some grass near a house's front porch. The woman sweeping the porch looked at the young girl and Rotom as they approached it. Bonnie instantly began petting the pony's fur and it stiffened.

"Bonnie, you may want to-" Lillie's warning came just a little too late. Bonnie's hand accidentally got stuck against part of the pony's fur, and it kicked out, sending her sprawling to the ground. Rotom laughed. Lillie just flinched and held her bag a little tighter. No doubt she was hoping Nebby wouldn't try and escape with them in a new town.

"Bonnie just brushed a Mudbray the wrong way," Rotom said haughtily. "Rotom's data indicated you should brush it differently."

"You  _knew_  that, didn't you?" Bonnie snapped, diving for the Pokédex. Ash and Serena chuckled nervously as Pikachu got to the ground and walked up to the Mudbray, greeting it. Mudbray appeared to neigh a bit before returning to its food.

"Bonnie and Rotom are certainly at odds quite often, aren't they?" Lillie said. Now that Ash thought about it, the two were almost constantly arguing with each other. Especially in the mornings, when Rotom would sometimes decide to head into the girls' tent and pull on Dedenne's tail to make him shock the poor girl awake.

"They're just good friends," Ash noted, shoving his hands inside his pockets. A door slammed from the house they were near, an older boy walking out with a crate of empty milk jugs, but Ash continued on. "Remember what we told you on the ferry? Good battles can mean good friends. We grow closer to each other and our Pokémon through everything we try."

"That sounds about right," said a deep voice, one that Ash realized was from the boy who had exited earlier. "Whether through Pokémon battles, or Leilani Ceremonies or even just working alongside our Pokémon in day to day activities, we grow together. That is what it means to be a citizen of Alola."

"Kiawe!" Mallow's voice called, bringing her and Clemont's attentions to the boy before them. Now that he wasn't in Ash's periphery, he could take in more features of the boy. Kiawe was shirtless, his dark skin standing out more prominently as a result. What stood out even further, then, were his deep red shorts offset with colors of burgundy. In some sense, Ash felt he looked like fire incarnate, and from the way Mallow had said his name, he sort of understood why: Kiawe was the captain she had mentioned earlier. "What are you doing here? I thought you were busy on Royal Avenue for the whole week!"

"I was," Kiawe said, placing the crate down carefully, its glass jugs clinking a little. "However, I was banned from further tournaments."

"You blew them all away, didn't you?" Mallow asked, hands tucked behind her back as she winked at him. Kiawe looked away, turning his nose into the air with a slight blush. "That's just like you…Oh, sorry, this is Kiawe, everyone, captain of the Wela Volcano trial."

"And an officiator of the Wela Ceremony," Kiawe corrected her, a fierce expression on his face. Mallow backed up, looking apologetic. It appeared that Kiawe was equal parts proud and shy. Serena lit up next to Ash, clapping her hands.

"So there are Ceremonies by Wela Volcano?" she asked excitedly.

"That's right," Mallow said cheerfully. She flounced up the steps to her friend and put a hand on his shoulder, grinning down at them. From Ash's gaze, the two appeared to be quite familiar with one another, judging by how Kiawe so easily accepted her on his shoulder. "In fact-"

"Ah ah, allow me to explain," Kiawe said, once more letting his obvious sense of pride show. Mallow's eyes narrowed and her lip twisted as Kiawe stepped forward, his hands on his hips. "As the captain of the Wela Volcano trial I have many duties as a strong trainer of Akala, which also means serving as a judge on the Leilani Ceremony."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive," Bonnie said, taking a break from pulling at Rotom. Kiawe, despite the sense of pride emanating from his body, didn't change his facial expression.

"It's a duty I take with great reverence."

"Of course it is," Mallow stated with a roll of her eyes before slapping the boy on the chest. He glared at her slightly. "Sorry, Kiawe is probably a little off the wall sometimes, but he means well. His grandpa was the old Kahuna of the island before Miss Olivia was chosen six years ago, and he was the first three of us captains to defeat her in battle."

"It was quite difficult. Her Lycanroc nearly destroyed my team," Kiawe admitted. "I've not had so fierce a boiling battle since."

"You're so modest." Ash could tell the two friends were interacting with sarcasm between them, especially from the way they were playfully glaring at one another. Lillie, however, appeared thoughtful, her fingers near her lips.

"So…if you're all the captains, how come you aren't running your trials?" she finally asked after the tensionless moment of glaring. Mallow was the first to straighten up. "I know you said that you're helping your family for the time, Mallow, but…"

"Because we, as captains, often hold more than one duty," was the answer from Kiawe's mouth. He raised his arm, placing a fist on his chest. Ash noticed the familiar looking Z-Ring around his wrist and his excitement returned. It shouldn't have been a surprise, given every other captain, yet he couldn't help himself. "Mallow is responsible for much of the agriculture and food supply with her family; Lana teaches fishing classes and understands the sea's ecosystem more than anyone on the islands, while I facilitate not only the trial but also the Battle Royal and as a judge for the Leilani Ceremony when my duty calls. These prevent us from being there at all times."

"It's the reason the Wela Volcano trial is closed for the time being," Mallow decided to explain before Kiawe could go off. It was like a game of Ping-Pong between these two, each of them flicking their gaze between the two captains silently, paying close attention. "Kiawe has been asked to serve as a judge during the Heahea Ceremony…though at the time they assumed you would be at Royal Avenue this whole week."

"Yes…well…if one is strong, sometimes it means having to take a knee," Kiawe said, nodding his head sagely. Serena happened to giggle at that, making Ash raise an eyebrow.

"You like sounding cool, don't you, Kiawe?" she asked with a little bit of wink in his direction.

"Wha…?" Kiawe spluttered out, as though he hadn't expected anyone to call him on the way he was acting. He quickly turned to Mallow. "Mals, who are these people?"

"Not often you call me by a nickname," Mallow said, throwing her head back with humor. "They're friends. Well, at least, I'd hope we're friends."

"Of course," Ash said, stepping forward and on to one of the wooden steps. Pikachu came back over from conversing with Mudbray to join him. "I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu. I'm taking part in the Island Trials."

"I'm Serena," Serena introduced herself. "While Ash is doing his trials, I'm taking part in the Leilani Ceremony." One by one, their group introduced each other until Kiawe had learned all of their names and relative purpose for being there. By the time it was done, he seemed rather accepting of it all, nodding his head. Ash, however, only had one thing on his mind.

"So, if you're both captains, and you're some expert battler, Kiawe, what would you say to a battle with me? I could use the training," Ash suggested, gripping one of his pokeballs. Kiawe folded his arms, a stern look on his face as he stared down at Ash.

"Pokémon battles are not something to be taken lightly. Unless you and your Pokémon  _both_  wish to fight, they are nothing but cries of pain to the Tapus…" Kiawe said harshly. Ash frowned; as much as he knew he'd likely be facing the boy later, there was something about the way he held himself that told him that he wanted to battle Kiawe  _now_. It was a shame that the Wela Volcano captain thought otherwise…leastways until his face broke out into a grin and he reached for his own pokeball. "That said, it  _is_  my off time. So long as we offer our training battle to the great Tapu Lele, I see no problem with it."

"Oh, Tapu Lele is the guardian deity of Akala, isn't it?" Lillie asked excitedly. Everyone turned to her except for Kiawe and Mallow, who nodded thoughtfully. "I've read about the guardian deities in books, so I know as much as I can about Tapu Lele, who supposedly resides in the Ruins of Life on the southern part of Akala."

"Which is the reason we give praise: for the life-giving water that flows in and around the island. Just as Melemele's Tapu Koko gives the water of strength," Kiawe said, now unfolding his arms, looking mildly impressed with Lillie's foreknowledge on the subject. "I look forward to a good battle, then."

"Hold up," Mallow said, holding her hand out, as if to stop Kiawe from throwing his pokeball and beginning the battle. "The ranch is just on the outskirts of town, and there's more than enough room for you boys to battle there. So, let's all head there and I can make some lunch…and why's your face green, Kiawe?"

"Uh…nothing…I just…" Kiawe stammered out. He looked at all of them fearfully, as if asking their entire group a question silently. Ash and Pikachu both tilted their heads while Clemont and Bonnie looked at each other. When he couldn't get his point across, he vocalized it. "You…you've eaten Mallow's cooking…and lived? !"

"Well, yeah, it was pretty good," Ash admitted. "She and Clemont made a great cooking team."

"It was a little spicy," Clemont admitted, "but nothing some sweet cilantro couldn't handle. I'd be surprised if you couldn't handle it, since my assumption is that you're a Fire type user."

"Kiawe can handle my cooking just fine," Mallow claimed, bending down to pick up his abandoned milk crate and hoisting it in her arms. "He just likes to play around and tell me how much my cooking seems to suck."

"Lana was sick for a  _whole week_  last month!" Kiawe claimed. Mallow once more rolled her eyes and began to push him in the direction of the ranch that Ash could clearly see was down the road. Hitching his bag a bit, he joined hands with Serena on instinct as their group seemed to cluster together once more and follow after the chipper captain and her surly friend.

"Yeah, I'm sure that diving into the water to save a swimmer boy and getting stung by a Mareanie has absolutely  _nothing_  to do with it…" Kiawe seemed to realize at that point that fighting was not going to lead anywhere. Instead, he sighed and allowed himself to be pushed along. Ash did the same, his own body practically shaking with excitement. Serena appeared to notice, no doubt due to his jittering hand, but she let the actual event go unmentioned.

Their rather large group managed to exit from Paniola Town in a matter of minutes, following a small stretch of dirt road that curved through dusty grass plains on its way to the house that sat comfortably on the hill, enclosed by a large fence that surrounded quite the acreage. As Ash looked around, it appeared just as Mallow had described: vast, sprawling with lots of Pokémon, and incredibly busy.

"Alola, Miss Mallow!" one of the ranch hands, raking at a pile of hay, called out. Mallow raised her free arm to wave. "You too, Master Kiawe. Here to help for the day?"

"Something like that," Kiawe said dismissively. When they had passed the man and were approaching a gate in the fence to open, the boy muttered underneath his breath, "Or maybe the whole week before the Ceremony. I've got nothing to do with my trial being closed."

"Why  _is_  your trial closed?" Clemont asked. Ash wondered the same thing, given they hadn't really gotten a straight answer from Mallow or anyone else. Kiawe, however, had no such problems.

"With the Heahea Ceremony being held, I cannot hold the Wela Volcano Ceremony, and it is vital that it is held for my trial." He didn't say much more than that, and Mallow wouldn't elaborate as she opened up the gate in the fence and allowed the bulk of them inside, striding up the remaining dirt path to the house that was situated there. The windows were open, but no sound was heard as Mallow reached up and placed the milk crate down, peering inside.

"Looks like the parents are out for the day, likely for the restaurant…Probably left things in Gerald's hands," Mallow stated before she turned around. "Well, this is Paniola Ranch, the family's pride and joy!"

"It's a really lovely place, Mallow," Serena commented, finally disengaging from Ash's hand to look around. Out of all of them, ironically, Bonnie and Rotom looked the most excited.

"Look at all the cute Pokémon, Clemont!"

"Yes, all these 'cute' Pokémon to register…careful, Bonnie…" Rotom teased out. Bonnie glared at him. Lillie took her hat off as they argued, wiping some sweat from her brow.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to sit in the shade a little before checking out the farm," she admitted. Mallow nodded, indicating that it was no problem. Serena's eyes lit up at the thought, herself, and she scanned the area, finding a small hutch placed in the shade of some trees.

"Why don't we sit there, and when we're rested, maybe we can help out a little? Bonnie can keep in our eyesight then, Clemont," Serena suggested to the inventor.

"That sounds like a plan to me. I'd like to watch Ash and Kiawe's training before looking at some of the farming machines that the Pokémon use to help out," Clemont told them. Regardless of all their intentions, Mallow seemed rather pleased with them.

"I'll whip up a quick drink and then give anyone who wants it the grand tour!" Mallow said happily. With a slight spring in her skip, Mallow bounced towards the door to the house and entered inside. While she did so, the girls all moved off towards the hutch, a herd of Miltank resting comfortably nearby. Bonnie and Rotom instantly went for it, practically racing to see who would get there first.

"So, Kiawe, how about that battle?" Ash asked, finally gripping at his pokeball. Pikachu's cheeks sparked next to him. Kiawe smirked a bit, finally grabbing at the pokeball that Mallow had stopped him from taking hold of earlier.

"Let's do it," he said. As soon as he said it, he walked forward across the grassy fields of the farm, taking his place opposite Ash. Pikachu once more scampered away from Ash to join Clemont in the middle of the field, the blond obviously planning on refereeing the battle. A distance away, Ash could see Bonnie playing while Lillie and Serena rested. A clatter sounded from the house and Mallow came out with a tray of lemonade, heading right for the girls. When Ash turned back, he saw Kiawe bowing low, his eyes closed.

"Tapu Lele, we offer this battle as a symbol of our life, the power that lives and breathes within us and our Pokémon." Ash's eyes widened for a moment and he, too, bowed his head, silently speaking the words that Kiawe had offered, straightening only when the other boy did. "Marowak, let us begin the battle!"

"Maro!" cried the Pokémon that emerged from the boy's pokeball. Ash was about to toss his own, but stopped at the sight of the Pokémon that was clearly Marowak…but very much not Marowak.

"Interesting…" Clemont noted from the side. "It looks like Marowak has an Alolan form, as well. Rotom, you might want to see this!"

"Zzt!" Rotom said, static issuing from its mouth as it sailed away from Bonnie rapidly. As soon as it caught sight of the Marowak it sped around the Pokémon, snapping pictures rapidly. "Very exciting! Professor Oak will be most intrigued!"

"Um…Rotom…do you mind letting us battle?" Ash asked. He had to admit that he found an Alolan version of Marowak quite fascinating, but his mind was already gearing towards battle, albeit a training one. Rotom appeared to get the message when Marowak swiped a burning club, lit with blue flames, at its screen. It flew straight back towards Clemont. "Right, Greninja, I choose you!"

"Nin-ja!"

"Well, it would appear I am not the only one with an unfamiliar Pokémon in this battle. Should be exciting, but don't expect me to take it easy," Kiawe said. Ash nodded, straightening his hat a bit. As Clemont's hand lowered to begin the battle, Ash felt like it was moving in slow motion. A thought, rather a realization, entered into his brain: Kiawe was not at the same level as his fellow captains. He was above. Closer to a Kahuna. To Hala. To an Elite Four.

"Greninja, be ready for anything," Ash muttered under his breath, conveying his thoughts. Then Clemont's hand was down as Greninja nodded, focusing both of their thoughts into action. "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

"Gren!" Greninja cried, clasping at his side and calling forth the throwing stars of water. He leapt upwards and tossed them straight for Marowak. Trainer and Pokémon shifted their feet, bracing for the incoming attack.

"Block it with Bone Club," Kiawe said. Just like Ash did with Greninja when they synchronized, Kiawe moved with his Marowak, as though they were dancers. Marowak's flaming club glowed as it brandished it back and forth, putting the Water Shuriken out with little problem. "Now, fade into the Will-O-Wisp."

"Rowa…" Marowak said, its voice sounding rather ghostly. Ash was intrigued as the turquoise-green flames appeared to surround Marowak's figure. Then they scattered themselves across the battlefield while Marowak appeared to fade. Greninja's eyes swiveled; even un-synchronized, Ash could feel it. Marowak was in one of the encroaching flames, and it was just a matter of figuring out which. Then Greninja's body stiffened.

"Aerial Ace, now!" Ash commanded. Greninja's leg glowed white and he kicked out towards one of the flames. They hit their mark exactly, slamming Marowak backwards. "Now, use Cut!"

"Ah! No! Wrong move, Ash! Wrong move!" Rotom cried out, flashing a big warning sign on its screen. Ash couldn't figure out just what Rotom was talking about until Greninja summoned his blade of white and slashed through Marowak's figure…or rather, he passed right through it, the attack doing nothing. "Marowak in Alola are Fire and Ghost type."

"Oh…" Ash said, his eyes widening as he realized he'd just given Kiawe an opening. The captain took advantage of it immediately.

"Shadow Bone!" he said, his voice brimming with passion. Marowak's bone shot out from behind, brimming with shadows that intermingled with the flames as it slammed into Greninja. The Ninja Pokémon flipped in the air and both Ash and he shared the same command.

"Aerial Ace, again!" Instead of kicking, this time, Greninja punched downward, driving Marowak slightly into the ground before leaping away and back to Ash's side, looking almost smug with his achievement. Looking across to Kiawe, he could see the boy looked impressed. Beyond him, Serena and Lillie had stood, their glasses of lemonade finished as Mallow led them further into the ranch, towards what looked like a river.

"You arrived here from Melemele, yeah?" Kiawe asked, folding his arms against his chest. "So, did you battle Hala at his full strength? I've heard tell that he is quite possibly the strongest of all the Kahunas…no, the strongest on the islands, even."

"I wasn't able to complete my battle with Hala," Ash admitted. Greninja turned back, nodding a little. Kiawe reached up to stroke his chin, and then he grinned a little.

"I was wondering…" he chuckled out. "You're not showing your true strength, are you?"

"What makes you say that?" Ash asked. Of course, he knew he wasn't, but figured it would simply be unfair to use the Ash-Greninja form unless necessary, which it was so far proving that it was unneeded. Kiawe, apparently, had different ideas.

"Because I can tell," he said simply. "You're moving in concert with your…Greninja? And yet, it feels like there is less weight and speed behind your attacks, enough that Marowak could avoid them if he so wanted to, but we wanted to gauge your strength. Now that we have, I want you to show your true power; I require it of all my challengers. Whether they be Champion level or beginners, a trial is meaningless if you cannot bring out the full strength of the bond with your Pokémon."

"Ah, I get it," Ash said, scratching at his nose. He looked over to Greninja, who also nodded once more. They were all on the same page. "All right, Kiawe, get ready then!"

"Ja!" Greninja cried and he raised his arm into the air in tandem with Ash. The water surrounded them, though Kiawe didn't flinch. He didn't think it was a regular occurrence in Alola, but perhaps Kiawe's belief in the spirituality of life that came from Tapu Lele made him unsurprised by life's phenomenon. Their minds and bodies connected, Ash prepared to start the battle anew. He clasped his hands together, and without an order, Greninja understood. The water coalesced, forming the shuriken, and he was off, copies of him appearing around the battlefield.

"Combine Flame Wheel with Will-O-Wisp!" Kiawe ordered, spinning his hands like he was the club. The club was set ablaze, still with that entirely eerie color, both its middle and end burning brighter. The flames from earlier spat out, covering the field and then Marowak tossed its club. The club flared and then disappeared, reappearing inside one of the flames of Will-O-Wisp, slamming into a copy. Then it would disappear and materialize again like a phantom club. Ash knew he had little time before the copies were depleted.

"Aerial Ace!" Greninja zipped forward, even faster than Ash had remembered him being before, to bring his leg flying up and into Marowak's jaw. The Bone Keeper Pokémon was flung upward and Greninja jumped for him. "Water Shuriken!"

"Fast…this is really your true strength…Shadow Bone to block it!" Marowak cried out as his hand was stretched back, summoning the bone to his hand as he swung down. At the same time, Greninja swung upward with his giant shuriken and the two were locked in place for a moment, straining against one another in that ghostly haze. Then Ash noticed a subtle shift of Kiawe's body. The other end of Marowak's bone came soaring out, nailing Greninja in the side. Both trainer and Pokémon flinched, and Greninja was forced to cut off his attack and fall to the ground. Marowak landed shortly after.

Marowak and Kiawe stared across at Greninja, as if sizing him up and his speed. Ash knew they were already calculating their next strategy, likely something to do with Will-O-Wisp, an attack he didn't want to have hit. There was a slight ping in his mind, as though Greninja was whispering to him, telling him what he wanted to try. It was certainly a bold and risky move…it  _had_  failed before after all, though it would cover a wider field than their normal shuriken. "Okay…let's try it."

"Nin." At Greninja's request, Ash raised his hand into the air, just as Greninja lifted his water shuriken, sending it spinning rapidly above his head. Clemont's eyes widened, almost like he was fascinated, seeing the attack once again. A great heat burned at Ash's wrist, his Z-Ring suddenly sparking violently, like it was straining against something as the shuriken grew large and orange, blazing with steam. He ignored it, and both he and Greninja hurled the shuriken at their common foe.

"Marowak, brace for impact!" Kiawe called. In just seconds, Marowak had raised his club like a guarded sword, and then the shuriken made impact, exploding in the air around them. Ash felt his hair ripple from the force, keeping his hat down as they waited for the attack to fade…only to find Marowak simply sagging a little…like the attack had done nothing at all…just like when it was used against Alain. The heat at his wrist returned to normal.

"Again…" Ash muttered and the form Greninja had taken faded away. Kiawe apparently considered that to be the end of their training battle, for he took out Marowak's pokeball and returned it once he thanked it. Both he and Clemont walked forward. Ash looked over to both Clemont and Pikachu as they approached. "It didn't do much last time…"

"I noticed. I'd have thought that with yourself and Greninja being stronger, it would have done more damage than it had against Charizard," Clemont pointed out. Kiawe stood there, listening, and though he obviously wasn't aware of the details of what they were talking about, he still seemed to have words to say.

"It looked like it was going to be a powerful move," the boy said thoughtfully. "But in the end, it was lacking the power behind it, power it should have gotten from you as the trainer, channeling thoughts and feelings through a Z-Crystal."

"A Z-Crystal?" Ash asked, genuinely confused. Clemont appeared to put two and two together quickly enough, placing his fist on an open palm. Then he chuckled.

"Of course…that  _does_  make sense when it comes to Greninja," he told the both of them. Ash tilted his head, wondering what that all meant. Thankfully, Clemont decided to explain. "Well, Greninja, through his latent abilities, has been able to bring out power on par with Mega Evolution. It  _is_  possible, therefore, that maybe he can also use something akin to a Z-Move, but without the crystal, in this case, you can't actually give it power."

"So…what you're saying is that it's a Z-Move and Greninja and I can't really use it properly?" Ash asked, causing Clemont to nod. That made Ash sigh deeply. "I can't even master  _normal_  Z-Moves…"

"Pika…"

"I wouldn't worry too much about that," Kiawe said. He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring up at the sky while Ash looked over to him. The boy appeared to close his eyes, taking in the breeze that ruffled across the grass in the area. "Some achieve their Z-Moves right away. Others struggle. I think it's different for each trainer. Being one with your Pokémon is important, and there is no doubt you've succeeded at that, but perhaps the key to mastery lies in something else the two of you share. Perhaps it's what you're meant to use Z-Moves for."

"Maybe…" Ash said, though he didn't quite understand what Kiawe was getting at. Still, he took solace in the fact. Looking at Pikachu and Greninja, remembering the heat from his Z-Ring, Ash knew he'd achieve them sooner or later. He'd just have to keep working at it and take some of Kiawe's advice. Knowing that, he decided to join the boy at looking at the sky, even as Grubbin came out of Clemont's pokeball to approach some machines.

Then he heard a scream.

* * *

"So, like I said, the farm provides milk to pretty much every area in Alola," Mallow said as she moved the girls along through the ranch. Serena looked around as she explained it all, seeing the dozy Miltank and Tauros, as well as a whole field full of Mudbray. Some ranch hands were nearby, milking the Miltank, while other Pokémon just rested lazily. Serena raised her hands in greeting to all of them and they waved back. "That includes your friend Hau's malasada shops. We get a lot of business from them, and the family's own personal restaurant."

"It sounds like quite the bit of work," Lillie commented, stepping around a rather irritated Tauros.

"It is, but fun…except for the waking up early," Mallow laughed out, rubbing the back of her head. "Especially when Kiawe chooses to practice his dance routine when the sun rises. That boy doesn't know the meaning of rest…No wonder Lana rarely stops by."

"It sounds like fun, and fulfilling," Serena said. Mallow smiled and nodded her head, gazing over the large expanse of the ranch with a happy exhalation. Serena could understand: this was her home, something she loved and adored, her passion in its own way. Knowing that, Serena reached forward and tapped her on the back. "Can we help, then?"

"Oh! You want to?" the green-haired girl asked, clapping her hands together. Bonnie was the first to jump at the opportunity, Dedenne just going to sleep inside her bag at the suggestion.

"I do! I do!" she said. Serena quickly reined her in from her loud voice waking up the Pokémon. She quickly got the message and covered her mouth with embarrassment. Not that it mattered to Mallow, the girl seemed positively thrilled at the offer.

"Then I'll go fetch some pails," she said, pointing at a small shack that Serena hadn't noticed in the distance. "We'll want to refill the troughs for the Mudbray and Tauros with water from the river. Then, if we have a little time, we can brush the Mudbray. Once that's done, we'll all get started on dinner for the ranch hands. Sound good?"

"All right," Lillie said, nodding. Serena felt she looked a little apprehensive, but from the way she was acting, like she was rolling up her sleeves, the honey blonde could tell she was up for some work. Mallow quickly pumped her fists with a grin and ran for the shed. Serena tore her gaze away from it, looking towards the river they'd be working with, the flowing water shining in the bright Alola sun. Though…there also appeared to be something else…something…glittering.

"Hmm…" Serena vocalized, her feet carrying her to the water's edge. Lillie called for her with a curious tone, but Serena ignored it. The closer she got to the water's edge, the more she realized that the glittering she was seeing was… "Ice?"

"What's wrong?" Bonnie's voice piped up, interested in whatever Serena was interested in.

"I wonder why there's ice here…" Serena mused, though it was more to herself than to the companions around her. The loud clanking of pails sounded out, and Serena figured that Mallow was on her way to return. The sound of sloshing ice rang in her ears and Serena's eyes moved up the river. Rivulets of ice continued through the flowing river, like something had traveled down it and frozen parts of it, not yet melting. Following it, Serena finally saw some rocks with ice on them. Her body moved of its own accord, padding along the grass near the riverbank, past a perplexed Mallow, to the rocks. She stopped short. "An egg…?"

"What egg?" asked Lillie, the girl having obviously followed her. Mallow and Bonnie were close behind, but Serena was paying little attention. Without thinking, some sort of maternal instinct flared inside her and she plunged into the water, waist deep and soaking her skirt. Realizing she wouldn't get anywhere against the current, Serena grabbed one of her pokeballs and called Sylveon out.

"Sylveon, hold on to me from the shore, okay?" Sylveon mewled happily and extended her feelers out to hold on to Serena. Bonnie came close as well, holding on to the Fairy type to make sure she didn't get dragged in. Serena continued towards the rocks and the egg that was bobbing along there. It was speckled with ice, little snowflakes appearing to decorate its surface. Serena reached outward, her fingers almost touching against it.

The first time, she missed, not even scratching the surface of the trapped egg. Sucking in her breath and hearing the sudden cheers from Mallow and Lillie on the shore (even a distinct "Pew!" from Nebby), Serena lunged forward and clasped onto the egg. It was freezing to the touch, no doubt accounting for the cold and ice, but she held onto it, body banging slightly against the rocks. The egg jumped a little in her arms. Making sure the egg was secure, she turned back to the river bank…only for her eyes to widen.

"Mallow, behind you!" she shouted, as best as she could amidst the merciless freezing waters. Mallow and Lillie both turned around, the latter giving a scream of surprise, catching sight of exactly what Serena had seen. Bonnie did, too, but she looked more annoyed than frightened.

"It's Team Rocket!" she declared loudly. Serena didn't need her explanation to know that, reaching for Braixen's pokeball and calling her out without a single extra thought in her mind. However, it was much different for Mallow and Lillie.

"Who are Team Rocket?" they asked simultaneously (Serena realized that the blonde had never been properly introduced to them). Mallow did drop her pails to grab her pokeball, however.

"Pokémon thieves," Serena answered, still holding on. She was beginning to shiver in the cold water, but refused to let go of the egg. Nor did she refuse to look away from Team Rocket, their usual Meowth balloon floating ominously over the ranch as a large cage shot downward, slamming upon a herd of Mudbray and locking them in place. The infamous trio appeared to have heard her describe them.

"I don't want to hear that from  _you_ , twerpette!" Jessie snapped, leaning out of the balloon. "We're honest do-gooders who are simply freeing these Pokémon from captivity."

"And taking them into our own," James chuckled out menacingly, clutching at a blue rose. His Crabrawler and Inkay appeared to be out next to them, the former clutching to his head until the blue haired man threw a berry into his mouth.

"So prepare for trouble on this po-dunk ranch!"

"And make it double, we're making a snatch!"

"To protect the world from devas-"

"Tsareena, use Stomp!" Mallow's Tsareena instantly aimed upward, using her powerful leg strength to rocket right towards the balloon basket and slam into it. Team Rocket scrambled for holding, enraging Jessie (not that it was all that hard).

"Hey, I am very tired of our motto getting interrupted for no good reason by smarmy twerpettes like all of you! How many of you  _are_  there now? What, is the twerp building a harem or something?"

"Be quiet," Serena snapped, finding it very difficult to keep concentration in the water. She only retained enough presence of mind to call Braixen out. Inside the cage below, the Mudbray were all panicking, slamming against the cage with their hooves. The balloon shook.

"I actually agree with da twoipette, Jess," Meowth said defiantly. "We betta skedaddle before dese Mudbray make a real mess of tings."

"Shut it, Meowth, I'm in charge here!" Jessie snapped. From where Serena still was, starting to slowly inch her way back towards the grass, she saw Meowth shaking furiously. "Now, my dearly adorable Stufful, show these twerpettes what being a woman looks like."

"Stuff!" From a new pokeball of Jessie's emerged another unfamiliar Pokémon, at least to Serena's eyes. Judging from Jessie's call, it was a Stufful, though it appeared more to be an adorable cuddly teddy bear. She could only imagine what Bonnie's eyes looked like right now, despite the Pokémon being an enemy of theirs.

"Okay, Stufful, use Low Sweep," Jessie said, cackling a little. Meowth and James instantly facepalmed. Her newfound Stufful ran forward, and Serena was surprised to see the fierce determination in its eyes as it ran for Tsareena.

"Use Stomp!" Mallow quickly called. Tsareena raised one of her feet before bringing it slamming down on Stufful. The Pokémon didn't stop in the slightest, bringing one of its legs around and knocking Mallow's partner off balance. "Ah…it must have the ability Fluffy, allowing it to halve the strength of contact attacks."

"Oh ho ho ho!" Jessie laughed maniacally. "It looks like we have the upper hand."

"Hardly," James sighed out. "Crabrawler, use Bubblebeam on the twerpette's Braixen!"

"Baraw!" Crabrawler said, shifting his eyes a bit before opening his claws and firing the barrage of bubbles right at Braixen, who was standing near Bonnie. Lillie dove for the girl, wrenching her away from Sylveon and the line of fire. Sylveon was still focused on holding Serena, but Braixen seemed ready to battle from that. As she fought against the water, Serena gave a cry.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower, wide range!" she called. Braixen twirled forward, brandishing her wand. The large jet of flame emerged from it, blasting through the air. It didn't touch the grass thankfully, fully aware to not ruin the ranchland. It did, however, make contact with both Crabrawler (who had jumped to the ground) and Stufful.

"Stuuuuuff! Stufffful!" Stufful cried out as the flames receded, only to see that the little fluffy bear was on fire, running around desperately.

"Stufful? What's wrong with you?" Jessie asked, actually sounding concerned. It reminded Serena for just a moment how much Team Rocket could care about their own Pokémon. Though the cries of the Mudbray reminded her much more of their situation. James' spoke on the thought before she could do much more, having apparently found the reason why Stufful was set on fire.

"Apparently Fluffy makes it weaker to Fire attacks," he said with a tired sigh. Jessie quickly grabbed him by the collar.

"That would have been nice to know before sending her into battle against the twerpette's Braixen!"

"Maybe ya shoulda listened, Jessie!" Meowth finally snapped, jumping up and slashing across his comrade's face. She howled from the pain and dove for Meowth. It was genuinely odd to see Team Rocket outright grappling with each other in the balloon instead of paying attention to their opponents. It certainly made everything easier.

With another kick, the Mudbray managed to damage the container, busting it open and causing each of them to fall quickly. At the same moment, Serena reached the ground, pulling her freezing, wet body onto the grass. Sylveon let go and ran forward, using her feelers to save some of the Mudbray while also using Fairy Wind to slow their descent. A multitude of ranch hands ran forward to calm the horses and the Tauros that had been agitated. Serena raised her head.

"Braixen, let's do this. Concentrate, just like Mallow showed us for a Z-Move. Bring all your power into your attack and use Psyshock!" Serena's words seemed to break through to Braixen. It might have been her effort and concentration, or maybe it was Serena officially putting a name to the attack she wanted to use. Regardless, as Braixen shot her attack from her wand, it was no longer a spiral of flame, but three twisting and turning purple streaks. One slammed into Crabrawler and Stufful each, driving them up through the center of the balloon basket. Then the last one flew straight through the hole, colliding with the flame on the balloon.

"Of course…because you two couldn't stop bickering," James sighed out as the flame seemed to burst forth. Jessie and Meowth looked up fearfully to it, grabbing ahold of each other. Just before the balloon exploded, the two companions looked to each other and nodded. Then they leaned out of the balloon together.

"Well, just you wait twerpette harem! You'll pay for hurting my precious new Stufful!" Jessie screeched out.

"Next time we won't go so easy on ya!" Meowth finished, the two Team Rocket members apparently on the same page in the midst of their impending blastoff. Then the flame exploded, James shaking his head.

"As usual, we're blasting off again," he sighed, and then the trio had disappeared into the sky.

Serena exhaled, finally realizing how numb her legs felt from the cold water. The egg in her arms bounced a bit. Around them, the ranch hands all worked to calm the Mudbray down, a Growlithe running in to herd them all safely. Lillie and Bonnie detached from one another while Mallow walked over to Serena and held a hand out, helping the honey blonde up. She was a little wobbly, but when she had regained her footing, she turned to Braixen with a near giddy smile.

"You did it, Braixen!" Serena cried, closing the distance between them and taking her beloved Pokémon's hands. "You learned Psyshock!"

"Brai brai!" Braixen said enthusiastically. Serena simply felt overjoyed, the happiness bubbling up through her chest. If her legs weren't so freezing, and her skirt so heavy from the water, she would have danced. As it were, she could barely stand, but at the very least, she could look towards Mallow. Keeping her breathing even before she answered, Serena saw Bonnie looking at her with a sense of both awe and determination before the little girl looked down to the dozing Dedenne.

"Thank you, Mallow, you were very helpful with your Z-Move," Serena said, bowing her head a little. Mallow smiled, about to say something, when Ash's voice called to all of them across the field, cutting off response.

"Serena! Bonnie! Lillie! Are you guys okay?" Ash yelled, he, Pikachu and Greninja racing across the field. Kiawe was right at his side, a stern expression on his face as Clemont trailed far behind them.

"Just fine!" Mallow answered with a grin and a wave. Ash skidded to a stop, looking around for whatever had caused the trouble he had clearly come running for, but he eventually focused on Serena.

"Uh…why are you soaked, Serena?" Ash questioned. "It doesn't look very comfortable."

"I  _am_  pretty cold," Serena admitted with a laugh. That was when she realized she was still clutching the egg to her chest; no wonder she was so cold. "I guess it's because of this egg. It's really cold. And I'm wet because I was in the river."

"Oh…well, I have some shorts you can change into," Ash pointed out. The very thought and implication of what Ash had so innocently suggested made Serena blush. Wearing his clothes was something she'd done only once, and out of necessity! Though she supposed it was necessary now as well…

"So, the egg is safe, then?" Mallow asked. Serena held up said object, twitching in her hands. The girls all let out a relieved sigh while the boys, including a breathless Clemont, stared at it in confusion. "I wonder how it got here…maybe washed from the sea…?"

"You mean, it's not yours?" Serena asked. Mallow shook her head, her twintails flapping back and forth rapidly. At this, Serena held up the egg a little more in the sunlight, now moving closer to dusk, and examined it. She could feel the life inside of a new Pokémon, just waiting to come out. It made her feel connected and, strange as it sounded, like she could reach out and grasp the smile of the new Pokémon that rested inside the egg. It sounded so incredibly selfish, yet Serena looked towards Mallow and asked, "Can I keep it, then?"

"Oh…I don't see why not," Mallow said with a laugh. "You  _were_  the one that found it. I see nothing wrong with you keeping it. I'm sure the Pokémon that hatches from it would be really happy to have you as its trainer."

"Thank you," Serena said, once more bowing her head in thanks. When she straightened, she sneezed. "Though, maybe first, I should get that change of clothes."

"Great idea!" Mallow said, skipping off a little. "It's about time to be making dinner, anyway. Kiawe, Clemont, you're helping me."

"Not again…" Kiawe sighed, but he followed her nonetheless. Serena walked forward, suddenly supported by a concerned Lillie as she did so, at least until Ash came to her side, smiling with concern at her. She shook her head, indicating she was fine and they proceeded back towards the house, the bouncing egg clinging to her chest, filling it with more happiness than she could have ever described, on their journey forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This was hands down the most difficult chapter to write. It feels like a filler. But it's not a filler. Obviously not, with Jessie getting a Stufful, Serena getting an egg, Braixen learning Psyshock and Ash battling Kiawe alongside learning that Greninja's giant orange shuriken of death was actually an incomplete Z-Move. That's right! I'm retroactively giving a reason for why it didn't do anything to that overgrown lizard! But one has to figure, if Greninja can tap into a Mega-esque power on its own, why not a Z-Move. However, in this case, Ash will need the Z-Crystal…if he can master Z-Moves.
> 
> But beyond that, it probably felt light on the story, merely setting up plot points to come. So, feel free to take guesses as to what's in the egg (which shouldn't be hard), and feel free to guess what could happen in the next chapter…
> 
> I really appreciate all the support this has gotten so far, and I hope it continues to the future! Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	17. A Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've spent so much time clearing up misconceptions, I've no idea what to say here…oh well, please enjoy Chapter 17!

Chapter 17

A Connection

Dinner at the Paniola Ranch was a sumptuous affair. More than that, though, it was lively. Mallow and Clemont had worked a couple hours to prepare a large spread, something that even Ash was allowed to help on…at least until Mallow had kicked he and Kiawe out of the kitchen. Following that, until the bell had rung for the ranch hands to gather for dinner, Ash and Kiawe spent their time practicing and training together, the raven-haired trainer admitting that Kiawe was a pretty cool guy to be around.

"Feel it flow through you, the power between trainer and Pokémon," Kiawe exemplified as he and Marowak moved as one. "Single purpose."

"Yeah, I get that," Ash said, moving his arms in accordance with the movements required for Breakneck Blitz, yet still nothing was happening between him and Pikachu, or any of the others, as they practiced their own moves against one another. "It's just not working."

"Hmmm…" the captain stated, folding his arms. "Maybe it's not about being one, but that you haven't found a purpose in using Z-Moves. There's been no need. Sometimes we pull out our greatest strength when backed into a corner."

"Maybe…" Ash noted. He'd never thought of that before. Part of him thought he was just hesitant to use his Z-Moves because he'd seen how powerful they were and didn't want that power to spill over. However, the other part of him now saw sense in what Kiawe was saying. Maybe he and all his Pokémon shared the same mindset of winning without that special sort of power. The same way he'd tried to not use Infernape's Blaze or defeated Korrina's Mega Lucario with Pikachu alone. "Thanks, Kiawe. I think it might help."

"I hope so. I want to battle you at full strength come my trial," Kiawe said, reaching out with a fist that Ash bumped. A bell rang overhead then to signify dinner as Serena came out to get them, and in no time, they and the ranch hands were seated at the table, consuming dinner at an accelerated rate. Kiawe appeared frightened, but upon tasting the food, dug in. It was only as they were about to fall asleep for the night that Bonnie made a surprising proclamation.

"I wanna teach Dedenne a new move," Bonnie yawned out. Clemont nearly fell off the couch he was sleeping upon. Dedenne crawled up Bonnie and stared at her with wide eyes. She reached over and stroked his tail with a smile. "Seeing Braixen learn Psyshock made me think I can do it, too. I think without it…we won't be able to protect each other…"

"Dene?" Dedenne asked, but as he was content, he seemed to accept it.

"Will Pikachu and Luxray help?" Bonnie asked of Ash and Clemont. Ash only nodded, himself close to nodding off next to Serena, who had rolled just a little closer to him in her rest. Clemont made a noise of assent, reaching over and ruffling Bonnie's hair inside her Tyrantrum pajamas. Rotom was powered down next to him.

Thinking it was nice to see the siblings helping one another out, Ash turned over, ignoring Kiawe's snores in the other room. He looked at Serena for just a moment, chest rising and falling rhythmically, before he fell asleep, a lone thought on his mind.  _She really does look good in my clothes…_

It was that thought he woke up with as well, considering his dreams had been filled with images of Serena in his clothing commanding Pikachu, just like she had back in Kalos. He'd never thought about it before like that, but now that he was, he realized he wouldn't mind seeing it more often. It was bad enough that Serena caught him still thinking about it as she ate breakfast, dressed in her own clothes once again. She finally cleared it from his head by leaning over and giving him a kiss, something that Kiawe reacted to by dropping his spoon with a surprising blush.

"It's just kissing, Kiawe," Mallow said with rolled eyes once more, but the Fire type trainer was unable to form any further response until they were done with breakfast.

Ash and the others then quickly packed up and were walked to edge of the ranch by the two captains. Serena checked her map, easily finding the location for Brooklet Hill, which would be easily reachable in less than a day or two, depending on the pace they took (and how long Lillie's feet would last, she admitted). Regardless, all of them were rested and ready for the journey ahead, turning to face their new friends at the exit from Paniola Ranch.

"Take care, all of you," Kiawe said, reaching out to bump fists with Ash once more. "I'm sure we'll see each other soon. Definitely by the time of the Heahea Ceremony, if not earlier."

"Looking forward to it. By then, I'll have cleared at least two trials," Ash said, taking his fist away and pumping it in the air. Pikachu was still slightly asleep on his shoulder, and so didn't react in the same way, merely waving lazily. As he did so, Mallow embraced Serena and Lillie both before pulling back.

"All of you, be safe. I look forward to seeing you at Lush Jungle in a couple days!" she said as perkily as ever. Serena reached forward and took the girl's hand, clasping it in her own with a smile.

"We'll be there," she insisted. Ash looked and saw that, for the moment, Lillie was holding onto the egg that Serena had obtained the day before. When his girlfriend drew back, however, she took ahold of the egg, pressing it against her chest. After another wave farewell, their little family once more set off on the road again, this time for Brooklet Hill.

"At least the path there is simple," Lillie said happily once they were an hour out from Paniola Ranch. Sensing his chance at freedom, Ash noticed Nebby poking his head out of Lillie's bag. This time, the blonde didn't force him to get back in it, especially after he'd remained surprisingly hidden for most of their tenure with Mallow. "Even Nebby is enjoying it."

"Pew!" Nebby said, but then he popped right back in the bag as Rotom came spying, hoping to get a picture.

"One day, Rotom will record much data about Nebby…" it sighed before floating back silently and annoying Bonnie by tapping one of her shoulders. It would subsequently float to another side, just to make her look. So, they continued on, stopping at a grove with some berry trees for lunch. Dartrix appeared quite happy at the chance to feast, though, as usual, Pikipek put a stop to that.

"What kind of move were you thinking of having Dedenne learn, Bonnie?" Clemont asked as they finished up their lunch for the day (leftovers from the massive dinner last night). Bonnie put a finger to her chin, contemplating the subject. Once she seemed to have decided, she leaned in towards Dedenne.

"How about learning Parabolic Charge?" she asked her companion. "That way, you can attack and heal yourself at the same time!"

"Dedene!" Dedenne cheered loudly. At her proclamation, Ash stood and ran with Pikachu over to a more open patch of grass. Bonnie and Clemont both appeared to take it as an answer that he would help (which, of course, was his intention) and they ran over to join him.

"I can help with the storing of electricity portion, but Clemont…"

"Right, Luxray's use of Electric Terrain should be able to help Dedenne gather the necessary electricity quicker," Clemont observed, adjusting his glasses. "And since I did teach Heliolisk Parabolic Charge, there's no doubt in my mind we'll have Dedenne running circles around opponents in no time."

"No time" proved to literally be just that: they had no real time to perfect or even teach the move. Sure, Dedenne appeared to be a fast learner, but just as easily needed to rest after a single attempt. By the time they had to get back on the road, Dedenne had managed to gather the electricity thrice, but was unable to do little more than give off a medium-strength Thunder Shock.

"It's okay, Bonnie," Lillie assured the downcast girl as they continued along the path to Brooklet Hill. "I'm sure Dedenne will figure it out. He has great teachers. Besides, he's already much stronger than Nebby."

"Pew pew?" Nebby asked, popping out almost incredulously.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Nebby!" she defended, patting the little one on the top of his head. "But we're not very much use together in a battle, are we?"

"That's all right," Serena commented. "You're not a very big fan of battling, either, so it works out. Now, come on. There's a Pokémon Center outside the trial site, so I'd like to get there before dinner, if possible. Bonnie can practice more once we're there."

"Yeah!" Bonnie cheered, running ahead on the path. Ash picked up the pace to follow her. He could tell that both she and Lillie appeared to be a little upset over their own failures, but with the smiles on their faces, he knew they'd work through it…though as he thought about it, he wondered if it stemmed back to the battle at Iki Town. If it did, he couldn't blame them for that; even he had felt a little inadequate after his skirmish with Guzma.

Setting their resolves, the group continued along at a nice pace. Lillie and Clemont, the ones who typically lagged behind, kept up the pace surprisingly well. Ash attributed it to the thought of the Pokémon Center, and perhaps the trial ahead of him. Even he could feel himself speeding up without knowing it, his hands shaking a bit in his walk. His thoughts were soon proven correct.

"I wonder what Ash will have to do for his trial," the blonde spoke, her new shoes getting a little dirty on the path, but clearly allowing her to walk further distances.

"I'm surprised, Lillie," Serena said, leaning over with her egg as they walked. Ash looked back in her direction, himself, surprised. As he brought his head back to face forward, he noticed some storm clouds in the distance, and he hoped it wouldn't open rain upon them before they could get to the Pokémon Center, though they didn't appear to be moving very fast. "When Ash was going to face Hala, you seemed positively terrified."

"Well…I still don't like Pokémon fighting," Lillie said, clutching at her bag. Nebby popped out, smiling at her as encouragement. "But, when I saw you battling those Team Rocket people, it showed me that sometimes you do fighting for different reasons other than hurting. Sometimes it's to protect and grow. Right, Nebby?"

"Pew!" Nebby said cheerfully. Ash looked to Pikachu, a grin on his face as his best buddy grinned back at him. It was nice to see people like Lillie growing a little and changing; coming to understand things and people in a different way. And knowing the girl would be so excited to watch his trial, Ash knew he'd have to do his best, getting even more excited by the notion.

"Hmm? Do you guys hear something?" Clemont asked suddenly. Ash wasn't sure what he should be listening for, their group rounding a corner to see the Pokémon Center they had been aiming for looming in the distance. As they drew closer, however, he did start hearing noises, like sounds of protest that soon became very distinct voices.

"Yo, you can enter this Pokémon Center after you battle us," said a voice. Ash grimaced; the voice may not have been familiar, but the vernacular certainly was. "If we win, we get your Pokémon."

"But only one-on-one, yo, else it ain't fair!" said another voice, likely the man's companion. Ash's gaze narrowed and he picked up the pace, finally rounding the corner. Sure enough, standing in front of the Pokémon Center, as if barricading the entrance with their Yungoos and Zubat were a pair of Skull grunts. Sprawled before them was a poor Psyduck, its trainer leaning over it. They weren't the only pair there either.

"That's not fair when you attacked us out of nowhere!" the boy with the Psyduck yelled. Ash picked up the pace.

"Yo, it ain't our fault you're so weak!"

"Bro, why would we want a weak Pokémon, then?" the other grunt asked, bringing his arms out in an overdramatic expression. His friend folded his arms.

"Because we make 'em real strong, right? That's what the boss said." Ash continued to run, the others now falling in behind him and they ran up close to the group of people, now angrily muttering and clutching their pokeballs. Ash turned to Pikachu, ready to instruct him to smoke them as one of the people in the crowd, a girl with blue hair that looked oddly familiar, stepped forward, clutching a Chinchou to her chest.

"Please move," she said in a demure voice as she did so. The closer Ash got, the more he realized how much shorter this girl was than him. It made him surprised that such a girl would choose to challenge Team Skull when the other trainers were doing nothing but muttering fearfully.

"Yo, we ain't movin' girlie!" the leader of the two grunts said, his hands moving all over, as per usual.

"Yeah, so unless you gonna battle and get beat, might as well find another Center."

"But the trial is here," the girl said, her arms tightening around Chinchou. Ash stepped forward, ready to attack at a moment's notice to defend the scared girl before them. Doing so, his eye noticed numerous things. Like the signs by a nearby stream indicating that it was a trial site, or the numerous wounded Pokémon around them…or how the second his foot touched the damp grass, he felt a wave of sudden fury that made him back off.

"Yo, we don't give a crap 'bout no trial. Places like that don't prove nothin'!" the other Skull grunt said, deciding to get in the girl's face. Ash could instantly tell that was a mistake. He could practically sense the sudden bloodlust from the girl, and the others did, too, from the way they moved back. "You all think yer real strong cause you can clear some fancy thing. Well, we're strong, too, and we ain't movin'!"

Ash swallowed. The girl stepped forward, and it appeared that the Skull grunt finally realized his mistake, stumbling back into his friend.

"I said  _move_." Silence followed for about five seconds, and then screaming. Lots of screaming. Lots of bright, electrifying lights and screaming. The Chinchou in her arms had leapt forward and had shocked the two Skull grunts, leaving them twitching in a piling heap. The doors to the Pokémon Center suddenly slid open, revealing a surprised Nurse Joy.

"Oh my…" she said in shock. "Captain Lana, what happened here?"

"Just a friendly chat," the blue-haired girl said. Ash once more swallowed.  _This_  was Lana? This was the captain of Brooklet Hill? Pikachu's shivers phased into his body. The girl was downright scary. "I would have been nicer, but they weren't swimmer boys…"

"Oh…captain…" Nurse Joy said, shaking her head. "Everyone come on in and I'll treat your Pokémon. My goodness, there're certainly a lot of you…"

"Sorry, Nurse Joy," said the boy with the Psyduck, bowing low. Now that the sheer frightening aura around Lana had faded, Ash finally realized how much damage the Skull grunts had caused before they'd gotten there. Many trainers, more than Nurse Joy and her Comfey could handle, were there with their wounded Pokémon, now all making their way into the Center.

"It's no bother…though it may take a while…" Ash shook his head, realizing that he shouldn't just stand there, and he stepped forward to speak with the woman.

"We can help out," Ash told her. "Our Pokémon aren't injured, so we can help if you need more hands."

"Thank you very much…?"

"Ash, and this is Pikachu," Ash introduced himself. The others all continued with doing so, as well, until Nurse Joy had learned all of their names. Lana appeared to give a start at his name, turning to look at him with wide blue eyes. He also stared down at her, curiously. This girl really was something else, and he finally recognized her as the girl he'd run into back in Heahea City, coming from the beach with a fishing pole.

"Well, all of you are welcome here, and I appreciate the help, though I think only two of you should suffice. One to work the front and one to help in the back," Nurse Joy told them. Ash looked to Serena, remembering her nurse outfit from Kalos. Although, when he felt a slight flush up his neck from thinking about it, he decided to not offer.

"I wouldn't mind helping," Lillie said, bowing slightly. Bonnie also jumped at the opportunity with a shout. Joy nodded, accepting their assistance, and led the two girls inside. Rotom followed after, presumably to take pictures in order to aid with treatment. It left Ash, Clemont and Serena alone with the blue-haired trial captain before them, slowly turning to look at them. At the very least, she was smiling.

"You're Ash?" she asked. No longer feeling the fright that had possessed him a moment, he reached forward and offered his hand. Chinchou popped out of her arms to waddle inside the Center so that Lana could be allowed to shake it in return. "Mallow told me about you."

"And you must be Lana," Ash said with a laugh. Lana returned it, and for a moment, he noticed her checking him out, only to sigh out in slight disappointment. Once she had, she looked over to the wooden bridges crossing the streams nearby.

"Too bad you're not a swimmer boy," she said. Ash blinked. What did that even mean? She didn't give him much room to contemplate it, though, sighing once more and turning back. "Anyway, my trial is closed for the day. Sorry."

"No, it's okay," Ash said, shaking his head. "I'll just do it first thing tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me," Lana said, once more smiling. For another second, she glanced over at the location of the trial, Brooklet Hill. Overhead, Ash could see the rain clouds were still covering it, yet not moving in the slightest. It was beyond strange, but he was glad he wasn't getting soaked. "Hope the rain clears up tomorrow…Kyogre's been very angry…"

With those words, she retreated into the Pokémon Center while thunder rumbled ominously over Brooklet Hill. Ash turned with a raised eyebrow to his friends, both Clemont and Serena appearing slightly surprised. Serena was the first to find her voice, though. "Well…she's certainly…interesting."

"Yes, quite the intriguing girl," Clemont voiced with a slight smile on his face. Ash was inclined to agree, though likely not for the same reasons. "She's certainly quite strong, too."

"Scary strong…" Ash chuckled out, looking in to the Pokémon Center. Lana appeared to be sitting at a table lazily, kicking her legs back and forth with a pleasant expression; nothing at all like she'd been earlier. Bonnie appeared to be at the front desk in her nurse's outfit while Lillie and Nurse Joy were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, we'll show ya who's scary!" croaked a voice from behind Ash. He whipped around to see the two Skull thugs rising to their feet, snarls on both of their faces. Their Pokémon were also up, bruised and singed, but ready for another round. Pikachu didn't wait for his trainer's command, just as Serena didn't waste a second in calling out Popplio; the two had really bonded. The second she was out of her pokeball, Popplio was sending a cascade of bubbles at the two while Pikachu launched an Electro Ball. It hit them, but they merely staggered. Team Skull was a lot more resilient than Ash had given them credit for. "Our turn! Yungoos use-"

"Huuuuuuuu!" a great, guttural cry, like echoing metal, cut across the thug. In seconds, a shape had flitted in front of them, slamming into the enemy Pokémon and knocking them into their trainers. The Skull thugs fell backwards before rolling onto their feet, rubbing their shoulders.

"Yo! Who did that? ! You gonna pa…" His voice seemed to die at the sight of the Pokémon, eyes widening. Ash's own eyes didn't widen, but he certainly recognized the Pokémon in front of him.

"Pika!" Pikachu greeted Null, the unfamiliar (yet known) Pokémon nodding to him. Ash folded his arms. Where Null was, Gladion was sure to follow. Turning alongside his friends, that was quickly proven to be the case, because standing there was the familiar boy, his blonde hair as strangely styled as ever, and his clothes looking to have gotten even more rips. As he walked forward, to Null's side, he nodded his head at Ash, acknowledging his presence until he came to a stop and looked at the Skull thugs.

"I think it's time you leave. You're not wanted here," he said insistently. The two thugs flitted their gazes between Gladion and each other, one of them shaking in what Ash presumed was fear. The other was more defiant.

"Yo! You can't tell us what to do!" he challenged. Gladion's green eyes flashed angrily and Null hunkered down.

"I said that it's time for you to leave." The voice was cold, and definitely got the message across, considering the way they each took out their pokeballs and began to scamper off, cursing under their breath at Gladion. It may have been more than that, though, judging from the vindictive looks they were throwing to Ash and Serena, the latter having clapped her hands with Popplio (the egg was tucked in the crook of her arm). Once they had fully vanished from sight, Gladion appeared to relax, adorning a small smile and patting Null on its head. "Good job, Null…and I see you haven't dulled since we last met, Ash."

"You, too, Gladion," Ash greeted, reaching forward to take the blond's hand. "So, what're you doing around here?"

"Work," was Gladion's simple one-word answer. The two disengaged hands and the blonde looked to Serena and Clemont, both of whom waved at him. "I'm glad to see you're all doing well, though. Here for the Brooklet Hill trial, then?"

"Yep," was Ash's own one word response. His gaze traveled downward, now catching sight of the glint of Gladion's Z-Ring on his wrist. It was concealed by his sweatshirt (an odd fashion choice, all things considered) but was enough to be identified.

"We got to Akala a few days ago," Serena spoke. "Guess we didn't think we'd run into you so soon, Gladion."

"Nor did I," the boy smirked out, but he didn't fold his arms. He did look down at Pikachu, who smiled up at him, yet it did little to cure the awkwardness in the air between them. "But I'm…glad I did."

"You are?" Clemont asked in surprise, earning a nod from Gladion. The boy's head hung a little before he started chuckling. When he looked up, he was almost actually smiling at Ash, taking the raven-haired trainer aback.

"I've been working a lot on things since I got to Akala that I haven't had time for myself. Just doing odd jobs, cleaning up some of the boss' messes," Gladion admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets. Ash tilted his head, the memory of their first official meeting in the woods outside Iki Town coming back to him. Gladion had been on his time off, then, looking for…Lillie. Ash could only guess that it was a mere coincidence, likely he'd seen her in town and wanted to speak with her further, so he chose not to mention it further. "Though…I guess I have some time on my hands…"

"Well, in that case, why don't we-" Suddenly, his and Gladion's stomachs began to rumble. Ash chuckled at it, but Gladion flushed a little, looking embarrassed over his clear state of hunger. Now that Ash glanced at him, it seemed like he hadn't eaten in a while. "Why don't we get some dinner? We'll buy."

"You…you would do that?" Gladion asked in surprise. Ash gave a strange smile, not understanding the question.

"Of course we would," Serena said. "We're friends, right?"

"Friends…" Gladion said. Null looked up at him, prompting Gladion to place a hand on it once more. "Thanks. If you don't mind, I'd like that. I'm pretty hungry."

"Great, I'll go get us some food inside, so why don't you get us a table?" Clemont suggested. Ash liked that idea, calling for Pikachu to return to him as he went behind Clemont into the Pokémon Center. Gladion was hesitant, but as Serena was waiting for him to move, he managed to follow after him.

As expected, the entire Center was bustling with all the trainers from earlier, including a sitting Lana, who was staring out of the window absentmindedly. She was certainly a mysterious and aloof girl, but Ash ignored her in favor of a large table for them to sit at. Gladion took the seat next to the window, staring out it for a moment as the skyline darkened. Ash frowned a little until he felt Serena nudging him, as if telling him to speak. "So…uh…what kind of work do you do?"

"Like I said, just little odd jobs. The boss allows me a lot of freedom, depending on what island I'm stationed on," Gladion admitted. He tore his eyes away from the window to look at Ash. In the background, a door slammed open and shut in quick succession. It went largely unnoticed due to Clemont arriving with their food. "And I like traveling. Gets my mind away from things."

"Me, too!" Ash said with a grin. Pikachu agreed before swiping some ketchup and bringing it over to Null, resting at its trainer's feet. Null considered him strangely for a moment before leaning down and managing to lick the ketchup through its mask. Gladion chuckled at the sight.

"Ash loves traveling," Serena said, taking a bite of the soup that Clemont had brought for them. "I'm surprised he managed to stay at home for six months without fidgeting too much."

"Six months, huh?" Gladion commented. His eyes appeared to get clouded, lost in what was likely some memory. Ash chose to let the moment pass until Gladion opened his mouth and said something he likely hadn't intended. "So, you're like me…traveling to forget."

"Forget?" Ash asked. For a brief moment, he remembered his father's death, but shook his head. He didn't want to forget. "Nah, I travel because I like meeting new people and Pokémon."

"That's pretty optimistic of you," Gladion commented. Ash grinned at the thought, grabbing his bowl of soup and tipping it down his throat, swallowing it all in one gulp. Serena was shaking her head at the action but didn't comment upon it. "Never thought of it that way before. Traveling to meet new people…"

"What exactly is it that you want to forget?" Clemont asked, munching into a sandwich. Ash reached for his own at the same time as Gladion, the two grabbing at the same one, accidentally tearing it apart. Neither considered it a great loss and wolfed it down.

"Family," Gladion spat. The answer surprised Ash; family was something he never wanted to forget. Maybe that was why Gladion was always scowling, though it wasn't stopping him from tearing into the stack of sandwiches. "Dad's gone and mom's…I don't usually like to talk about it."

"I lost my dad, too," Ash said. He couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. Serena and Clemont averted their eyes while Gladion stared at him. It was like he never thought it possible that anyone had experienced whatever pain he'd had. If anything, it made him look ashamed for thinking it. "Just after I met him, too…But…you know, I had all my friends. It helped me."

"Then you're lucky," Gladion said, once more choosing to look out the window. "All I've known for years now is me and Null, all alone. Don't believe in anyone. Don't trust in anyone. If you don't, you can't feel pain."

"There's always pain," Serena said. Out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw she was looking down. "Being alone is pain. That's why you can't…" She trailed off, not letting her words complete themselves for whatever reason. Ash could tell she was remembering Reeree, who had felt her soul ripped out; who had felt so alone that she felt nothing  _but_  pain.

"But you don't have to be alone! After all, we're friends, right?" Ash asked, reaching out a fist towards Gladion. The blonde stared at it, as if he didn't even understand what it meant, only looking at the Z-Ring around his wrist. When he didn't say anything, Ash moved his eyes over to the battlefield outside. "And friends…they like to get in a good battle now and then. What do you say?"

"That…" Gladion said, following the gaze before he actually smiled. "That sounds like a great idea. Maybe we can actually finish it, this time."

"All right! Pikachu, let's go!"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu acquiesced, bounding away from Null, who stood straight to follow after its own trainer. Serena called out for Ash, but he and Gladion were already getting into battle mode, heading for the field. He quickly saw his girlfriend throw her napkin down and stand before Clemont, who was busy dropping food on the floor from all the sudden movement. She was quickly after them until she reached the battlefield alongside the two of them, her egg clasped in the crook of her arm. Some trainers were there, eating outside as they waited for their Pokémon to be healed, but their attention was easily drawn to Ash and Gladion taking opposite ends of the battlefield.

"All right, three-on-three sound good to you, Gladion?" Ash asked, punching forward. Gladion nodded, a light smile gracing his face. Ash could feel the palpable excitement between them. A battle between two trainers, exposing their feelings on the line that could only be borne in battle. It was like Ash was reaching out, waiting for Gladion to reciprocate, and when each grabbed their pokeballs, it felt like he did just that. Their hands had joined together as an invisible handshake, forging a connection between the two of them.

"All right, then this battle will be a three-on-three between Ash and Gladion, and the battle will be over when all of either side's Pokémon are knocked out," Serena cried, taking up the post of referee over the scrambling Clemont. Seeing both ready, she lowered her hand, indicating for the battle to begin.

"All right, Rockruff, I chose you!"

"Salandit, time to battle!" The two capture devices exploded with light, and from them the first combatants appeared. Ash's eyes peered across the field at the opponent before him: a familiar Pokémon he had seen used by Team Skull, black in color with beady white eyes. It appeared to slither along the ground, snapping its jaw at Rockruff, who was hunkered down, growling. Gladion shifted his foot and took the first move. "Power it up with Nasty Plot!"

"Rockruff, use Rock Polish!" Both of the Pokémon made their enhancements at once. While blue sparks shot off from Rockruff's body, Salandit glowed with purple smoke, surrounding its body in a haze as it hissed. Pikachu cheered next to Ash for Rockruff. "Now, let's go! Rock Throw!"

"Dodge it," Gladion commanded sharply. Rockruff ran forward, kicking up dirt behind her as Salandit zipped to the side. Ash was surprised at its speed, but grinned. Rockruff was now faster. She aimed straight for Salandit, and the stones around her neck quickly jettisoned into the air, forming into a large rock that sailed forward. It was quick, too quick for Salandit to dodge fully. The geode slammed into Salandit, sending it across the battlefield. "Counter with Flame Burst!"

"Ssssala…" Salandit hissed, opening its mouth wide. A red glow burgeoned within its maw and then it spat the shot of flame right out, sailing for Rockruff.

"Get moving, Rockruff, around the field!" Rockruff barked and dashed to the side, her incredible speed once more showing. Even a speedster like Salandit was barely even able to keep up with it. The Flame Burst impacted with the dirt field, sending up a dust cloud as some of the embers split off. Those embers brushed onto Rockruff's fur and she winced a little, but remained alert. "Now, use Bite!"

"Rrrrruf!" Rockruff growled, skidding to a stop and bounding forward, jaw open wide. Salandit, too blinded by the dust cloud, missed Rockruff coming overhead and biting into its tail. It hissed out in pain.

"Flame Burst!" Gladion roared, bringing his hand up to his face and clenching it. Salandit turned around, showing incredible body flexibility as that same fire emerged from its mouth, hitting Rockruff in the face. She cried out, but remained holding on.

"Swing it around," Ash called, keeping himself firmly planted. Rockruff reared back, keeping her jaws locked tight, and then she began to swing the Toxic Lizard Pokémon around powerfully before slamming it to the ground. Her jaw disengaged and she leapt backwards. "Finish it with Rock Throw!"

"Toxic!" Gladion ordered, his fingers now curling into a fist. The pointed stones once more shot upward into the large rock. Salandit also opened its mouth, only this time there wasn't an orange glow. Instead, it was purple. Rockruff howled and flung her head, sending the rock at Salandit. At the same time, the purple stream of what looked like venom struck Rockruff, pushing her back slightly. Just before the stone made impact, she shook it off, though her body was wracked with momentary convulsions. Then the rock hit, creating a dust cloud that took several seconds to dissipate, revealing a fainted Salandit in its wake.

"Salandit is unable to battle, Rockruff is the winner," Serena called, looking overjoyed at Ash's victory in the first round. Gladion shook his head, frowning as he returned Salandit. Rockruff shuddered once more. Salandit clearly was not the highest in the defensive realm.

"You okay to keep going, Rockruff?" Ash asked of his team member. Rockruff yipped loudly to show she was still good. Gladion, meanwhile, seemed to have his expression waver between a smirk, a smile and a frown. Then he tossed his next pokeball.

"Your turn, Mareanie," he said brusquely. Once more, an unfamiliar Pokémon appeared from Gladion's capture device. Ash sighed internally, wondering why Rotom had to choose now of all times to tease Bonnie (because there was no doubt of that happening). However, he kept himself focusing on the battle, not letting his body betray the fact that he didn't know about the Pokémon before him, purple in body with blue, floppy tendrils like hair. It was an unknown, and one Ash knew he'd have to be careful with.

"Then let's go. Rockruff, use Bite!" Ash ordered, bringing his fist sharply up into the air.

"Rock! Ruff!" Rockruff barked out and she once more ran for her opponent. Ash's eyes narrowed, realizing that she was moving slower than before, the poison already sapping her of strength and energy. He'd have to end this quickly.

"Protect!" Gladion called, his expression now firmly settled into a smirk. Mareanie's tendrils snapped out and between them, a blue shield was formed. Rockruff's jaw slammed into it, and she slid down the side, whimpering slightly as the poison wracked her body. "Now, Venoshock!"

"Rockruff, dodge!" Ash called firmly. It would not be a pretty result if Venoshock were to hit. Rockruff struggled to her feet, the poison slowing her down in every way. Ash gritted his teeth, hoping she'd get up, only for Mareanie to fling purple globules at Rockruff. They made contact, tinging her body violet for just a second before she whimpered and fell to the ground. "Rockruff!"

"Rock…Rockruff is unable to battle. Mareanie is the winner," Serena said. From the side of the battlefield, some trainers clapped, praising the way that the battle was going. Ash could only stare in shock at how easily it had ended. He grabbed Rockruff's pokeball and returned her, thanking her for the good battle. Then he stared across at Gladion.

The boy was shrewd, reminding him of Paul in a way, though perhaps not nearly so sacrificial when it came to his Pokémon. However, he was still a tactician. The second he saw the battle going south for Salandit, he'd already set up a means to obliterate Rockruff. At the same time, though, he felt there was more to it than that, and he searched Gladion for an answer. "Mareanie has the ability Merciless. It makes any attack that hits a poisoned Pokémon even more powerful. When combined with Venoshock…"

"It's like an instant knockout," Ash said, chuckling under his breath. Now the result made so much more sense. He also knew what he had to look out for. So, he gripped another pokeball and tossed it into the air. "Pikipek, I choose you!"

"Pikeee!" Pikipek cried, spreading her wings as she stared fiercely down at Mareanie, the Pokémon appearing to not care. Ash narrowed his eyes as Gladion stood there, not making a move. He was baiting him, no doubt, and he was prepared for that bet.

"All right, Pikipek, be careful and use Peck!" Pikipek shouted and then dove straight at Mareanie, her beak glowing white. Once more, Gladion was smirking and Ash could feel that he was starting to get into the battle. It  _was_  the furthest they had gotten before being interrupted, after all.

"Protect, now!" Gladion ordered, pulling the same exact thing as last time. It was just as Ash expected.

"Pull up and use Feather Dance, quickly," he called, sweeping his arm out. Pikipek pulled to a halt instantly, showing the mastery of her flight before flapping her wings. Before the blue shield could erect itself, the feathers that resulted from her wings settled around Mareanie, making it shiver. "Now, Echoed Voice!"

"Pikeeeeee!" Pikipek cried, the bright soundwaves firing off and hammering into the Protect before it faded away and drove Mareanie backwards.

"Venoshock, let's go!" Gladion ordered. Mareanie raised its tendrils and from the stingers on the end of it, fired off the purple globules. Ash instantly called for a dodge and Pikipek went swooping and sliding through the air. Mareanie didn't stop its assault, firing orb after orb of the purple liquid. Ash watched, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Pikipek twirled, the buffet of air sending her into a spin that avoided one of the attacks.

"Echoed Voice again, right now!" Pikipek snapped to attention and opened her mouth, blasting the blue soundwaves out. It was even more powerful than before, this time driving the Venoshock back into the ground, where it caused the dirt to smoke. Mareanie had a harder time than the ground though, especially as Pikipek began moving closer with her ever powerful attack from successive use.

"Protect, quick!"

"Maree…" Mareanie gasped out, but its tendrils lifted up enough to create the opalescent shield that ended Pikipek's attack. Then it faded and Gladion quickly gave his next order. Once more, Mareanie's tendrils raised.

"Get out of the way, Pikipek!" Ash cried, but his command was in vain. He was falling into the same trap all over again. Gladion was a master at using Mareanie to get close, only to attack. Pikipek was slammed by the purple glob and dropped to the ground, struggling to get up as the Brutal Star Pokémon shuffled forward. Ash clenched his fist. "Pikipek, use Peck right away!"

"Piki!" Pikipek called. She raised onto her wings and, despite the exhaustion, shot into the air, spinning around. She didn't even stop spinning, her beak growing all the larger as she headed right for Mareanie. A smile blossomed on Ash's face; she'd learned Drill Peck. The elongated attack slammed powerfully into Mareanie, driving it back with a cry.

"We have them, now! Use Liquidation!" Pikipek couldn't break away, not before two of Mareanie's tendrils wrapped themselves around her beak. Then the others all shimmered with an aqueous quality before slamming in on every inch of Pikipek's body, battering it with splashes of water until their aim was done. Mareanie let go, and Pikipek dropped to the ground.

"Pikipek is unable to battle. Mareanie is the winner," Serena commented with a sigh. Ash didn't bother gritting his teeth this time. Both of his Pokémon had done a great job, and now he had an idea of just what Mareanie could do. He returned his flier.

"Great job, Pikipek. You ready to bring it home, Pikachu?" Ash asked of his beloved partner at his side. Pikachu flexed his muscles and then ran out onto the field. The spectators around them were starting to get quite interested now, though they didn't move towards Serena in order to give her space. "All right, Gladion, I know everything there is to know about Mareanie now."

"Really?" Gladion asked with a confident smirk. "Guess we'll have to see if that's true. Use Venoshock!"

"Use Quick Attack to dodge it!" Ash called. Pikachu bounded off powerfully across the field. Mareanie's tendrils lifted, firing the globules at Pikachu. He dashed to the side and then to the other. The Brutal Star Pokémon attempted to aim, but Pikachu was too fast, dodging every single one of the projectiles. Then he made impact with Mareanie, driving it backward. "Thunderbolt!"

"Don't let it make contact! Protect!" Somehow, Ash knew that Gladion was going to make that order. As Pikachu let loose the searing electricity from his body, Mareanie formed the turquoise shield, completely nullifying the attack. Yet, at the same time, through the dust swirling around from the collision of the attack on the shield, Ash saw an opening.

"Go up, Pikachu!" Ash cried. Pikachu rolled onto his tail and then used it to spring straight upwards, rolling through the air like he was in a performance before spinning towards Mareanie and the blind spot on its back half. "Now, Iron Tail!"

"Catch it!" Just like with Pikipek, Mareanie's tendrils snapped outward, catching ahold of Pikachu's tail just as he made contact. Trainer and Pokémon grinned; it was just what they were waiting for. Serena gasped. She knew what was coming.

"Now, Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

"Pika pika pika pika pika chu pi!" The orb of pulsing shocks formed at the tip of his tail and then exploded before Mareanie could do anything. Ash watched as Pikachu flipped back through the air, landing on his side of the battlefield. The dust from the resultant attack faded, revealing a passed out Mareanie.

"Mareanie is unable to battle, so Pikachu wins!" Serena cried. The score was once more even. Gladion shook his head, almost chuckling as he returned his second Pokémon. Ash's mouth changed, forming a thin line. He knew what was coming next; so, did Gladion. This was the real battle they had been waiting to rematch with.

"Null, you're up," Gladion said. The air on the battlefield almost imperceptibly changed, but for the two battling there, the air was brimming with static. They had tested each other now, understood one another and their battling styles. It was time to make use of that to pull out a victory. Ash's Z-Ring clinked on his arm as he moved it, wondering if Pikachu and he would be able to use it this time, knowing Null could get them into that pinch. Those watching the battle silenced, and Ash noticed that Bonnie, Clemont and Rotom had joined them outside. He lowered his head a fraction. "Metal Sound!"

"Huuuuuuuu!" Null screeched, sending out a horrible sound that made Ash grimace. Pikachu hunkered down, cringing from the move. It made it impossible to hear anything else, including Gladion's command. Before the sound had even faded, Null had rushed forward, its claw glowing blood red as it swiped across Pikachu.

"Pika…!" Pikachu cried painfully as he was knocked into the air, wincing.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu didn't even bother trying to recover, sending out his searing arc of electricity. It partially scattered around the field until it found its mark. The yellow sparks and red aura around Null mixed and mingled together, but Ash knew they weren't done yet. "Spin and use Iron Tail!"

"Chuuuuu pika!" Pikachu cried, finally righting himself in the air in time to do quick spins downward, much like Serena and Pancham would do in battle. Null shifted its feet. Ash snapped his gaze to Gladion, the boy almost trying to hide his grin. He actually  _was_  enjoying this. That meant he was giving it his all. It would certainly make the battle quicker.

"Iron Head, block it!" he yelled. Pikachu's tail came crashing down upon Null's head as it glowed a silvery-gray. White sparks flew off from the collision of the two, but Pikachu was struggling far too much. In a matter of seconds, Pikachu was tossed back from the Iron Head, slamming upon the ground. He pulled himself up quickly though, looking back at Ash to assure him that he was okay.

"Great, Quick Attack, max speed!" Ash ordered, punching forward powerfully. Pikachu grinned and dashed to the side with his blinding white aura. Null turned to catch a glimpse of him, but as soon as he had, Pikachu had vanished, confusing the Pokémon as he ran about. It was just like with Machamp. Finally, Ash had his opening. "Electro Ball!"

"Take it," Gladion said. It was an odd order, but as Pikachu flung his orb of electricity and it impacted with Null, the result became clear: Gladion was building its Rage attack. "Now!"

"Ho!" Null shouted as it ran at Pikachu, catching him in the middle of his action. Its claw slammed at Pikachu, making his partner have wide eyes for just a second before Pikachu went flying, off the battlefield and into the wall of the Pokémon Center.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out. Null looked almost ashamed at the way it had attacked, especially with the look of consternation that Gladion was giving it. Thankfully, it proved a moot point.

"Pika…pi…" Pikachu grunted out. Ash heard Serena breathe in relief as Pikachu emerged from the rubble and ran over. He looked rather beaten up, but still prepared to continue the fight. In fact, now that he thought about it, Pikachu's attacks had done some damage to Null, who had taken them all in order to power up its Rage attack. He looked down to his Z-Ring. They really were pushed into a corner.

"Pikachu…let's try it," he said calmly. Pikachu looked up and nodded, pulling himself to a standing position. They wouldn't be able to take much more, but if they nailed this…

"Null, you get ready, too," Gladion spoke sternly. It was like the two trainers were on the same wavelength. Gladion's sleeve pulled back, revealing a Z-Ring that had sandy stones as its base, almost covered in moss, a white light shining from it. Both trainers crossed their arms in front of themselves and then brought their hands to the sides, their Pokémon mimicking their actions before separating their arms and boxing their bodies.

"Breakneck Blitz!" they cried simultaneously. Ash's face was screwed up in focus, he and Pikachu both feeling the desperation. Yet nothing was happening. On their side, at least. The fist that his Z-Ring was touching clenched, nails driving into its palm as bright white light surrounded Null and it began charging across the field. The dirt was ripped up, leaving nothing but a mess in its wake. All Pikachu could do, surprised they hadn't mastered it, was take the attack. Ash readied himself.

Null impacted powerfully with Pikachu, a guttural scream echoing out from within its helmet. Pikachu flew backwards in pain, cuts all over his body, yet enduring. Ash dove for him, catching his partner as he rolled onto the battlefield. Serena didn't need to call the result. They all knew what it was as the aura faded from Null and it pulled to a stop. Ash had lost. He grimaced a little.

_Again…we still can't do it…_ Ash said to himself. He wanted to beat himself up, but refused to do it in front of Serena and all the others. In fact, he didn't even look up at them all, not wanting to see how disappointed they likely were in him losing because he'd failed… _again_.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu groaned out, clearly exhausted. Clemont walked up to Ash, tossing him a Sitrus Berry for Pikachu to eat. Ash offered it to his partner gratefully, turning his lips upward in an attempt to feel better about the situation. Gladion and Null, the latter looking exhausted, approached.

"Pikachu is an amazing Pokémon," the blond spoke. At those words of praise, Ash looked up at his rival, the boy offering his hand. It was the first time that it felt like he'd really done so. Ash smiled a bit at that and reached up to take it, standing as the other spectators all walked away from the titanic battle. "I don't think Null's ever really had so difficult a fight."

"Thanks. Pikachu and I have been together since the beginning, so of course he's my most dependable Pokémon," Ash insisted, scratching his partner behind the ears. His grin faded to a frown. "But we still can't get the Z-Move to work, no matter how close we are."

"I noticed," Gladion admitted. He folded his arms, though it seemed more thoughtful than surly in expression this time. "You two are close, no doubt; a lot closer than Null and I. So, I don't know…"

"It must be something else then," Serena said. Ash flinched a little, fearing disappointment in her tone until he felt her soothing touch on his shoulder. That allowed him to relax, bringing him back to Kiawe's words.  _Maybe there's been no need._  Ash sighed, running a hand up to his neck. Gladion watched him before looking away, lost in a memory.

"Truth be told, I struggled with Z-Moves as well," Gladion told him. That easily got Ash's attention. "We weren't able to use them very well, but it didn't matter much, because we were so strong. Then, one day, we got into some real trouble. Null was roughed up, and I could barely stand. We were fighting for our lives and that was when it all clicked. Guess we had to reach our lowest point for it to happen."

"Hmm…" Ash mused. Hearing Gladion's story, his theory, it all made sense…but Ash didn't like it. He'd fought enough, struggled enough to keep him and others around him alive during Kalos. That wasn't something he wanted. If that was what was required to activate Z-Moves, he'd have preferred not using them altogether. Still, he was grateful for the advice, bringing with it a question. "So, does that mean you're completing the trials, Gladion?"

"In my spare time. Not like I'm outright taking the Island Challenge, though," the blonde admitted, unfolding his arms.

"Which Kahuna did you get your Z-Ring from, then?" Ash asked. Gladion appeared taken aback by the question, and almost seemed to not want to answer.

"It certainly looks different from the ones Ash and the trial captains on Akala have," Clemont noted. "Honestly, I'd love to study them and see what they're all about. It would make for a fascinating invention if I could wrap my head around the mechanics."

"I didn't get mine from a Kahuna," Gladion answered, cutting off Clemont's fanboying. "I…I received mine straight from Tapu Bulu, the guardian deity of Ula'ula Island."

"Huh…" Ash commented. He didn't think he'd hear something like that, but glancing at the Z-Ring on his own wrist, he realized that it really wasn't all that farfetched to begin with. "Then we're the same. I got mine from Tapu Koko."

"You did?" Gladion asked in surprise. He opened his mouth, almost like a gaping Magikarp, obviously wanting to answer when something beeped loudly on his figure. Gladion's gaping expression gave way to a scowl and he pulled out the same device he'd answered during their last encounter. This time there was no answering, but the scowl didn't go away. "Well, looks like my next assignment has come in."

"Where are you heading?" Serena asked, stepping forward. Gladion reached up, closing his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Hano Grand Resort, for the moment," he told them. "If I have some time, there are other places I'll want to explore on Akala before they transfer me. How about yourselves?"

"After I complete the trial here and in Lush Jungle, we're heading for Heahea City and the Leilani Ceremony," Ash's answer came. Gladion nodded his head and then smiled, extending his hand once more.

"Then maybe we'll see each other there," he said. Ash accepted the hand. "We had a great battle. Thanks, Ash. I needed it."

"Not a problem. Only, the next time we battle,  _I'll_  be the winner!"

"We'll see," he smirked out in response. "Clemont, Serena. Take care of yourselves."

"Bye." Gladion nodded a couple more times, and then, without waiting, he ran back into the Pokémon Center and was out the door, leaving them all behind. Serena never removed her hand from Ash's shoulder and instead spun him to face her. "Ash, you should have Nurse Joy look over your Pokémon. That was pretty intense."

"Oh, right," Ash stated. Cradling Pikachu in his arms, he detached from Serena, running into the Center proper. Bonnie was no longer manning the desk, but Ash knew where to find Nurse Joy. Jogging along, he turned to see Lana watching him with a curious expression. It creeped him out a little, but his Pokémon proved to be more important. Lillie was the one to open the door, looking pale. "You okay, Lillie? You don't look so well. Like you saw a Ghost Pokémon."

"Don't joke about that!" Lillie insisted, clutching at her chest. Ash just laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. "And I'm fine. Is Pikachu okay?"

"Just a tough battle. Can Nurse Joy look them over?" Ash asked, handing both Pikachu and his two pokeballs over to the blonde. Lillie nodded, putting a smile on her face, just as Nebby popped out to say hi, almost making it free from the bag before his caretaker grabbed him. She quickly shoved him back inside and then turned into the backroom. Ash just rotated his body and leaned against the wall.

It  _had_  been a fun battle; one they could really go all out during. And for just a moment, he'd gotten to see Gladion for who he was, connecting in a way that perhaps no other person had for the blond. More than that, he'd gotten to see more of Null and its unbelievable feral strength. That made a grin blossom. He'd finally found another person to push him, and it fully excited him for the future battles with the boy and his upcoming trial, even as he fell to a dreamless sleep aside Serena and her ever-rhythmic breathing.

* * *

"It's a gooooooood Rotom morning! Wee-oo! Wee-oo! Wee-oo!" Ash snapped forward, his hand sliding across Serena before he realized it. Pikachu slid off his chest, tumbling along to the floor and banging his head a little, shaking it.

"Fire! Where's the fire? Which one exploded this time?" Clemont shouted in a rush, fumbling for his glasses and accidentally knocking them to the floor. Ash rubbed his eyes while Serena sat up with him, placing a hand on his chest as she leered blurrily over at Rotom. Sun was just beginning to peek into their room at the Pokémon Center.

"Pewpew!" Nebby said, sounding like jingles as he floated over to Clemont's glasses, picking them up with his mouth and handing them to the inventor. Clemont thanked him and jammed the glasses on, finally getting a clearer view of things.

"That was veeeeery nice of you, Nebby," Lillie yawned out. Ash had to blink over at her. For all their travels together, it was the first time, he realized, that he'd seen Lillie dressed in her sleeping clothes. As it turned out, they weren't all that different from her normal clothes, perhaps just made of a lighter material. What was different was that her hair had come out of its braided style, falling in a more consistent stream around her face. She seemed to notice she was yawning and quickly covered her mouth, looking embarrassed.

"Rotom…" growled Bonnie's tired voice. Ash finally saw Rotom, the Pokédex floating along in midair, looking as happy as could be.

"Today is the day of Ash's second trial. Rotom is most excited! Rotom will witness the next Totem Pokémon!" Rotom said, zipping around the room at max speed. "So, everyone should get up!"

"You didn't need to wake us up so harshly, though," Serena commented, moving her legs so they hung off the bed. Ash took that as his own cue to get dressed for the day and he, too reached for his clothes while his girlfriend checked on the egg positioned on the bedside table.

"Yes, I'm sure one of my alarm clocks would have done the trick," Clemont said, himself not moving. Ash genuinely wasn't sure if Clemont figured his alarm clock would actually work or if its resultant explosion would wake them up. Bonnie didn't appear to care either way.

"Dedenne…get him," was Bonnie's threat. Dedenne scampered to the edge of the bed, summoning electricity to himself. Pikachu turned around in shock, yelling a brief warning. The warning proved to be well-founded as in Dedenne's attempt to release the electricity, it was too much and he fell back, bringing the full brunt of his attempt at Parabolic Charge on Bonnie. Rotom floated close.

"Bonnie and Dedenne are still half-pints! Half-pints!"

"Yeah, well you're an annoying, stupid Pokémon!" Bonnie shot back angrily. Clemont was finally out of bed now and holding Bonnie back from attacking Rotom with her own bare hands.

"Rotom, stop it," Ash scolded the Pokédex. "We're friends here, and Bonnie's working really hard. Stop giving her grief." Rotom blinked, showing question marks on its screen, but eventually seemed to take Ash's advice, flitting away from Bonnie. As Clemont calmed his sister down, Ash quickly got dressed and then waited for Serena and Lillie to take turns in getting dressed, themselves. When everything had finally settled down, their group headed out to breakfast.

Things were much quieter now from how they'd been the day before, although glancing out the window showed that the ominous clouds were still hanging over Brooklet Hill. Ash paid it little mind and sat down for a hearty breakfast. They were some of the only ones in the Pokémon Center lobby, but most importantly was that Lana was nowhere to be found. Her absence was soon answered by the arrival of Nurse Joy.

"Ash," the nurse spoke as they finished up their breakfast, "I have a message for you, from the captain. She says to meet her at Brooklet Hill for your trial, and that she'll be waiting."

"All right!" Ash said, finishing his eggs quickly and standing. He and Pikachu pumped their fists into the air until they noticed Nurse Joy holding something out to them.

"You'll also want to take these, she said," the nurse indicated. Ash looked down at it, realizing the massive stack in her arms were a bunch of raincoats, all relatively color coordinated. He took them with confusion as the nurse ambled away to speak to the Psyduck boy from earlier. Slightly confused, Ash shrugged and waited for the others to finish breakfast before handing them each a coat.

Fully fed and energized, Ash took the initiative to lead them out of the door. As noted the day before, the signs indicating a trial site were a mere few feet away from the Pokémon Center, just like Verdant Cavern. That meant there wasn't far to go for their entire group to run. The pitter patter of raindrops began to fall, lightly hitting the top of Ash's head. He slung his blue raincoat over himself as it began to fall in a more consistent stream, soon obscuring his vision moving forward. Ash's feet hit the wooden bridges leading into Brooklet Hill and he cast his gaze around, looking for Lana. To his surprise, there was no barrier this time, but the second Lillie, the final member of their group, passed the threshold in her white raincoat, the blue shield suddenly spread up, locking them in. Ash still faced forward, noticing Lana sitting on a rock through the rain, fishing idly as the water fell around her. She looked at him as they approached, smiling.

"Welcome to the trial of Lana," she said in the same soft voice she'd used when he first saw her. "Are you ready, Ash?"

"I sure am!" he said proudly, rolling his shoulder back and forth with a grin, listening to the raindrops hitting his coat. Lana laughed a little, a hand by her mouth. Then she placed her fishing rod down and stood.

"Then choose a companion." Ash and Pikachu both tilted their heads, not quite understanding what she was getting at. "For my trial, you're allowed to have a friend along until you face the Totem Pokémon. Once you've chosen a companion, the Trial of Lana can officially begin."

"Oh, hmm…" Ash said, folding his arms with a squelching of the jacket. He had to choose between one of the four friends with him, knowing he'd be heading into the rain. There was no way to know the task before him, which could only mean the choice was perfectly obvious. "Well, then, I'll choose Clemont."

The inventor's mouth dropped straight open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So, this chapter ironically deviated greatly from my outline, but I feel turned out better as a result. We met Lana, who was oodles of fun to write. We reunited with Gladion, God bless his edgelord soul. And yes, Ash lost; but against a savage like Null using Z-Moves, can we blame him? Speaking of, indeed, Ash is still struggling with said Z-Moves and the reason is becoming clearer. Most importantly, though, the second trial is about to begin, and Clemont is along for the ride this time! I'll explain more next chapter.
> 
> It's been a great time with all of you so far, so I hope we have more enjoyment on this story together. So, until Sunday, remember to Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	18. A Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go with the second trial! Also, a Happy Easter to all! Now, Chapter 18 time!

Chapter 18

A Storm

"Me? Ash, are you sure?" Clemont practically stammered out. He genuinely couldn't believe that out of all the people his best friend could have picked, it would actually be him. Ash turned to him with a bemused expression.

"Well, yeah. Why not?" Ash asked him. On the boy's shoulder, Pikachu nodded. Clemont pressed his glasses up, somewhat unable to see through the fog that was resulting in the cool downpour.

"Because I'm sure someone like Serena is a much better option for this sort of thing," Clemont pointed out, looking over to his other friend. The honey blonde appeared to frown at Clemont's underestimation of himself, but he knew it to be true. Out of all of them, he was the least athletic, the least predisposed to deal with danger, and was quickly showing himself to become the weakest when looking strength-wise of their group (if one didn't count Lillie and Bonnie, at least). "Why don't you take Serena along? I'm sure she'll help you clear the trial much faster than I will."

"Nope, I want you," Ash said, throwing his arm around Clemont. Water flew in the air from off their rain jackets. Oddly enough, Lana didn't seem to mind at all, standing there in the rain like the sun was still shining brightly. "Come on, Clemont, don't sell yourself short!"

"Ash…I'm not…I won't…" Clemont struggled to get out of Ash's grip, but suddenly froze. Ash did as well, and both boys looked over to Lana, staring at them in the rain. The two swallowed, feeling the palpable aura of…well, it wasn't quite bloodlust, but whatever it was chilled them more than the rain ever could.

"Just  _choose_  already," Lana said in a low voice, reminding Clemont of how the girl had been outside the Pokémon Center just yesterday. She was certainly a scary one, but Clemont still had his misgivings over Ash's choice. He pushed his friend away.

"Look, Ash, I like helping you, but I just can't see myself helping during a trial."

"Clemont, don't be ridiculous," Bonnie snapped. She was clearly still miffed at Rotom from earlier that morning. "You have lotsa stuff to offer! Inventions, Pokémon, you're a Gym Leader from Kalos, and you're  _my_  big brother, so that has to count for something."

"She's right, Clemont," Serena spoke up. He turned to look at her almost in exasperation, but she simply smiled at him with her egg safely in her arms for a second before she placed it gingerly in her bag, Lillie right next to her. Nebby looked to be poking out of the bag before retreating right back in from the rain. "You're a wonderful trainer. Far better than I am, and I'm sure Ash would have chosen me in seconds if I was the better choice. That he picked you simply proves you'd be the best."

"But we don't even know what this trial is!" Clemont snapped. Suddenly, he blinked, as if hearing how he sounded. Gritting his teeth a little, Clemont felt like he could have beaten himself up. Since when had he started sounding so negative again? After all the work he'd put in through Kalos, following after Ash, gaining courage, it felt like he was chasing after the boy's back again. All it had taken was one person to feel like he was back to before everything. Finally, he shook his head.

"That's the point!" Ash told him. Clemont finally looked up at him, evening his breathing, putting a smile back on his face. "You're really smart, and because we don't know what we need to do, I can rely on you to help me figure things out. Plus, there's all this rain."

"All right, I understand," Clemont finally said, putting his hands in front of him. He smiled and formed a fist with both hands. He couldn't let Ash down by continuing to argue this. "I'll make sure to see you through this trial until the very end!"

"Yes!" Ash said, the two reaching forward and clasping hands with one another.

"Speaking of rain…" Lana said absentmindedly. Both Ash and Clemont turned to face the girl, herself staring up at the dark clouds overhead, endlessly pouring rain above them. She looked almost distracted, a far cry from how she was behaving earlier. Lana was most definitely a strange one. "Something has been making it rain over Brooklet Hill for days…I sent other trial-goers into the hill to examine it all, but no one was successful in figuring out what could be causing it."

"Maybe it's a Pokémon," Lillie said, holding her rain jacket tight around her. Lana looked down now, but instead of her gaze being directed at the girl who'd just spoken, she instead looked at Ash.

"I think I'll make that your trial," Lana said with a smile. Only, Clemont noticed that her eyes weren't smiling the way her mouth was. This girl was far more shrewd than she let on, and even if Ash wasn't picking up on it, Clemont knew he'd have to pay attention. It seemed like Serena and Bonnie were picking up on the same, though their gazes were directed elsewhere, towards the rock formation on the sides of the pond they were standing on. "Find what's causing the rain and I'll battle you for the Waterium-Z. Hint: I don't think it's Kyogre. I went looking."

"K-Kyogre…?" Clemont stuttered out. This girl was very clearly off her rocker. The captain turned around and began walking back towards a herd of Lapras that were resting on the water's surface, next to planks that stretched across the ponds that made up Brooklet Hill.

"Yes, he's sometimes friendly to Brooklet Hill, I think…though I've never seen him," Lana stated, throwing some of the reins off the Lapras, like she preparing them for departure. "Oh, and can you make it quick? I'm hungry, so if you finish by lunch, that'd be great."

"We'll definitely do it," Ash said, holding a fist up. Clemont nodded fervently, agreeing with the notion. "You'll cheer us on, right Se…rena?" Ash's trailing words caught Clemont's own attention and he turned to look at the raven-haired trainer's girlfriend. Bonnie and Serena were still looking up, shivering in the rain for a moment. Lillie watched them curiously.

"Is everything all right?" Clemont asked. His louder voice cut through the pitter patter of the rain, making the girls turn to look at them. Serena was wearing a concerned expression upon her face.

"Y-yeah…just felt odd. Like we were being watched by something," Serena commented. She shook her head immediately after. "But, as Dawn always says, no need to worry! We'll cheer you on from wherever we are."

"Yes, most profusely!" Lillie confirmed. Her braids looked odd under the wet rain, but her face was enthused. Clemont, however, was more worried about Serena's words. He hadn't even noticed if they were being watched, and nor did Ash. It seemed almost odd that the girls had been able to sense it when even Ash, someone who appeared to sense danger on a daily basis, hadn't.

"Bonnie…" he asked of his sister.

"It didn't feel like a bad something. Right, Dedenne?" Bonnie said. Dedenne squeaked out an affirmative from inside Bonnie's bag. "Just…strange…Almost familiar."

"Rotom will go look," Rotom offered, floating upward to the top of the rock face. Clemont watched the Pokédex a moment until it just as suddenly returned. "Rotom saw nothing."

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Serena insisted, holding out a fist. Ash and Clemont grinned at one another before reaching in to tap their fists against hers. As soon as they connected, the three of them raised their fists high. "You just focus on your trial, okay, Ash?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ash said positively, bringing his fist down in front of his face. "You all go with Lana. Clemont and I will be there in no time."

"Right. Stay safe, big brother," Bonnie said, running up to Clemont and hugging him a moment. The three girls then turned and ran over to Lana and the waiting Lapras. Ash and Clemont followed after them at a much slower pace, only nearing the planks of wood that formed a bridge across the pond once they were all seated on the Lapras. To the side, he could hear rushing water and as he turned to look, he saw a large canal that appeared to run down the hill, though it looked far too violent for most to take.

"The Trial of Lana begins now," Lana said, almost cheerfully this time. "And if you see any swimmer boys, let me know. Lapras, let's go."

Just like that, the Lapras were taking off, ferrying their friends away from them and leaving them all in the soaking rain. Ash breathed in, Pikachu shaking his fur to get the water off him in a vain effort. When he turned to Clemont and lowered the hood on his raincoat, the inventor could tell how positively thrilled he was to have started his second trial.

"All right, we just have to figure out what's causing the rain, right?" Ash said, pounding his hand into his fist. "Any ideas?"

"Not really," Clemont chuckled out. Both of the boys tilted their heads, placing fingers to their chins in thought. Now that Clemont was actually putting his mind to it, he realized that Lana's instructions were very vague, though it was hardly a surprise given how airheaded she tended to act. That's when it hit him. Perhaps Lana  _had_  given them a clue to find what they were looking for. It was really a matter of finding them before the arbitrary time limit Lana had given them was up. "Maybe it really is a Pokémon doing it, or at least one of its abilities?"

"That's brilliant, Clemont!" Ash shouted, pumping his fist in the rain. Clemont just chuckled nervously, not really sure the deduction could be considered brilliant, given Lillie had given a close enough one before. "I wonder what Pokémon could be doing it, though…I mean, even with Rain Dance, there's no way a storm like this could be created."

"You have a point…" Clemont agreed. "Why don't we look around a bit? It seems like there's various lakes and ponds here. Maybe if we get a better idea of what Pokémon are around, we can figure things out."

"Right, and we'll get the others to help us out. Guys, come on out!" Ash called, taking all four of his pokeballs and tossing them into the air. The bright lights shined, even through the rain, revealing all four of Ash's other Pokémon.

"You come out as well, Grubbin!" Clemont called, tossing his newest Pokémon's pokeball high. Ash peered at the little Bug type curiously. "If it  _isn't_  a Pokémon, or is some type of machine, Grubbin would help to find it. So…anything?"

"Grubgrub," Grubbin said, moving back and forth, as though shaking his head.

"All right," Ash said, shaking his head and adjusting his hat. "Guys, let's examine the area."

"Gren," Greninja agreed, and he turned right around to dive straight into the water on their first pond. Rockruff, however, didn't even move, whimpering lightly as the rain hit her fur. Dartrix, catching sight of this, appeared to reach over and cover her with his wings.

"Ah, sorry, Rockruff," Ash said apologetically. Pikipek was taking to the air, looking around carefully while Pikachu ran across the small bridge, glancing from side to side. "Would you rather stay inside?"

"Rrruff!" Rockruff declined, evidently choosing to stay positive for her trainer. Ash accepted that and he began walking forward while Dartrix removed himself from the puppy and took to the skies. Clemont went right behind him, Grubbin sticking to his pack, along for the ride. Greninja was swimming back and forth as the two boys watched the pond, the rain causing ripples in it. A slight peal of thunder sounded out near the end of the hill, rumbling up and shaking the water. Some Magikarp scattered away.

"Anything, Greninja?" Ash asked of his Water type. Greninja popped his head out, shaking it disappointingly.

"Ninja gren, gren Greninja," he said slowly. Ash folded his arms and looked up. Both Dartrix and Pikipek were circling, a little lower than usual from being weighted by the rain, but neither seemed to have found anything remotely interesting. Clemont's hand returned to stroking his chin.

"Perhaps it's further down…" he mused.

"Hmm…maybe…" Ash said. He looked far more contemplative than Clemont was used to seeing. Typically, the boy was always an "act first, think later" type of individual, but here he was pensive. It made Clemont start thinking a little more, himself. While his idea of moving further into the hill wasn't a bad one, there was also the feeling that perhaps they needed to analyze the pond they were in.

He snapped his fingers with an idea and took his backpack off. Ash watched him as he took out two small attachable flashlights. At the same time, he pressed a button on his backpack and his Heliolisk Light appeared, shining down into the pond, cutting through the rain. "Here, Pikachu and Greninja can both swim decently, so how about they wear these flashlights, so maybe we can see what's going on. The pond is rather small and shallow, after all."

"Sounds like a good idea. You up for it, buddy?" Ash asked of Pikachu. The Electric mouse nodded, allowing Clemont to bend down and place the flashlight around his head, the electricity causing it to light up. Pikachu looked enthusiastic and dove into the water as Greninja approached, allowing Clemont to do the same for his wrist.

Once they were off, the two trainers watched the Pokémon flit about the water, scattering Magikarp at every turn. In fact, that was all Clemont saw: Magikarp. There was nothing else. For a place that appeared to have many different kinds of flora and seemed like it would be a haven for Water Pokémon of all kinds, it was remarkably…not diverse. The inventor turned to his friend, who was petting Rockruff. Dartrix and Pikipek descended, landing on the wooden planks.

"We should move on, Ash," Clemont noted. Ash stood, nodding.

"There are a lot of Magikarp here. Do you think the other Pokémon or whatever's causing it are definitely further in?" Ash asked. Clemont nodded slowly. That deduction appeared to be good enough for Ash because he called Pikachu and Greninja back. Both of his older Pokémon returned, taking off the flashlights as they pulled themselves onto the wooden bridge.

"It's odd that there's nothing but Magikarp," Clemont pointed out. Ash nodded, having obviously figured out much of the same. That fact surprised Clemont a little, but he supposed that Ash was simply treating the trial like a battle, making his senses sharpened.

"Maybe the next lake can tell us more. I can see it now," Ash pointed out, holding his finger forward. Clemont could see it, too, bringing his feet onto solid ground away from the small pond. At the edge of a drop-off, Clemont could now look down to the much larger and far less shallow lake that made up the second tier of Brooklet Hill. Turning his head from side to side, he could note that the canal from earlier was definitely a violent one, inaccessible from anywhere but the top or bottom, but that to the side was a far gentler slope. He tapped Ash on the shoulder and pointed down it.

"Right," Ash noted. He bent down to pick Rockruff up, the poor puppy clearly not at ease in the rain. He placed her in his jacket and their group continued on down the hill. Rocks lined the path downward, slick with the rain. Mist bubbled up, obscuring their vision a little as they drew closer to the second lake. More than that, the rain was thickening, proving Clemont's hypothesis that whatever the source of the storm was, it was further in. "Well, I think this might be a problem…"

"What might?" Clemont asked, realizing that Ash had stopped in front of the lake. He didn't need any words to form an answer to his own question. Now that they were here, instead of up above and looking over it, Clemont realized just how  _large_  the second lake was. It would be impossible to send Greninja and Pikachu in to see what was inhabiting this particular lake.

"Dartrix, Pikipek, see if you can find anything," Ash called. Clemont frowned; it was definitely an admirable attempt to see just what was going on, but Clemont felt it was a very foolhardy one. Pikipek looked to be struggling in the increased precipitation, while Dartrix only did a little better, clearly suffering from his wings getting wet (he even took the time to brush his hair out from his eyes). "Hmm…why don't you try Echoed Voice and Leafage!"

"Darrroh!" Dartrix cried out in the affirmative. He swooped to one side of the usual bridge while Pikipek went to the other side. The latter opened her mouth, sending the soundwaves into the lake. At the same time, Dartrix flapped his wings, the leaves shooting out from them like sharp blades caught in a whirlwind. It almost looked different from how it used the move as a Rowlet. Yet, even from those attacks, all Clemont could see were Magikarp hopping out, though it was difficult to tell through the downpour.

Regardless of Ash's intention, though, it gave Clemont a brilliant idea.

"Heh heh heh," he chuckled out, making Ash, Pikachu and Rockruff stare at him in alarm; Greninja remained stoic.

"Clemont…why are you sounding like Conway again?" Ash asked, inching away slightly, making his feet squelch against the mud. Clemont placed his fingers to his glasses, wiping away any water that lined the rim of his hood.

"Because, it's almost like my mind was prepared for a situation such as this!" Clemont announced proudly. Like before, he whipped off his backpack, feeling quite giddy. In seconds, he had whipped out one of his old inventions, or at least parts of it. Grubbin crawled over his shoulder, looking on with interest as he cobbled it together carefully. At some point, he used a String Shot to bind two pieces together, but after a few minutes, the waterproof orb was wirelessly connected to his screen, a little antenna sticking out. "The future is now, thanks to science! Clemontic Gear on!"

"Pika…?" Pikachu asked, clearly somewhat in awe of the machine that Clemont had created. He, himself, felt rather smug about the whole affair. Ash just watched on with clenched fists, though they weren't out of anger, but excitement.

"It's an improvement to my Gotcha-Living-Being Mark II!" Clemont announced, flaring his nostrils and puffing his chest with pride. "I call it the Gotcha-Living-Being Mark III! While before, it could discern sources of life, finding any Pokémon it could, I've now refined it to be able to identify and classify different kinds of Pokémon so we don't run around aimlessly."

"Wow…science is so amazing!" Ash exclaimed happily. Clemont felt pleased to be hearing him say that as he touched a button on the orb. Grubbin watched excitedly from his shoulder as the orb floated into the air and then whirled over to the water. Dartrix and Pikipek watched the strange device momentarily before it dipped itself into the water and began moving along. Clemont grabbed ahold of his screen, the picture of a Magikarp appearing on its surface, and then another.

"More Magikarp…?" Ash asked in disappointment. "It  _is_  working, right?"

"It is," Clemont stated confidently. Ash nodded, clearly having full faith in him as an inventor. Yet all that kept appearing on the screen was Magikarp after Magikarp. It was like any diversity to be expected of a place so surrounded by water truly was lacking. Had something happened to the hill or…?

"Ruff! Ruff! Rock!" Rockruff suddenly started yipping and barking, like she was almost frightened of something.

"Hey, what's wrong, Rockruff?" Ash asked, petting the canine on the head. She calmed a little, but didn't fully stop. Clemont looked to his screen as more and more Magikarp kept filling it up. He was starting to feel like it was all an exercise in futility.

That's when the hairs on the back of his neck felt to stand up. He remembered Serena's words from earlier…that she felt they were being watched. Ash no doubt felt the same, because both stared towards a culvert, barely even noticeable in the white rain. Clemont felt his hands shake on his device, yet he couldn't look away. Four green eyes were staring out at them from across the water.

"Greninja?" Greninja cried in surprise, running forward and diving into the water. There was a sudden flash of lightning, and the Ninja Pokémon leapt out of the water instantly as said lightning struck, rumbling the area. Clemont fell backwards, dropping his console. It didn't break, though the same could not be said for his device.

The lightning having impacted with the water's surface caused the machine to clearly short circuit, glowing red hot in the water from too much generated electricity. Ash stepped back while Pikipek and Dartrix cleared the area. Then it exploded. Those Magikarp that hadn't been practically fried by the lightning flopped out of the water in fear. Clemont, however, just balled a fist and slammed it down onto the mud he had fallen into.

"More Magikarp,  _again_ ," Ash said before he turned to Clemont and offered him a hand. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I guess," the inventor answered, taking Ash's hand and pulling himself up. Ash watched him a moment longer, but decided to take his words at face value and turned back towards the lake. Clemont grimaced as Ash faced away from him, reining in his feelings of uselessness that were returning tenfold. He thought he had been so smart, and all he did was…nothing. It was like Plumeria's Pokémon was pressing down on his chest again, preventing him from moving forward. And Ash was on the move again, this time across the bridge, leaving him stuck in the mud behind him.

"Clemont, let's go to the last level of the hill," Ash called back to him, his voice almost lost amidst the rain. Clemont didn't respond for a moment, his fingers digging at the mud coating his hands. "Clemont!"

"S-sorry," he called, making sure to move forward. He could tell Grubbin was looking at him in concern. "Thanks for the help, Grubbin."

"Grub?" Grubbin asked before Clemont took out his pokeball and returned him. Once he had, he wiped his muddy hand on his raincoat and ran forward, catching up to Ash halfway along the lake. His eyes turned towards the culvert, the green eyes no longer there. Nor was the sense of feeling watched. He swallowed.

As they finished crossing the lake, Clemont put his hand out, latching to Ash's shoulder as his friend returned all but Greninja and Pikachu. It wasn't hard to see why. The rain was even thicker now. They could barely see two feet in front of them, much less to the lake down below. Only Greninja, the frog impervious to the rain, was able to lead them forward as carefully as he could. Another set of winding slopes was approaching.

"It's like knives," Ash grunted out.

"Pika…chu…" Pikachu groaned out, deciding it was for the best to crawl inside his trainer's jacket. Clemont was inclined to agree with the statement. The rain was falling so hard and fast now that it felt like it was cutting deep into his skin, even  _through_  the raincoat. He hoped that Bonnie was doing okay, sheltered from the torrential downpour. Ash's foot suddenly slipped, sending the boy into a tumble. Clemont fell with him and they soon became a rolling mass of flailing limbs that fell rapidly down the hill before a slight incline pitched them into the air.

Clemont screamed, fearful of meeting an unfortunate and rapid end by hitting his head on a rock. Thankfully, he didn't, as Greninja's tongue snapped out, encasing both Ash and Clemont and pulling them back to safely. "They weren't lying when they called this a trial…I feel sore…"

"Yeah…" Ash gasped out, himself looking almost exhausted. It was no real surprise; after trudging through rain and mud, the fact that Ash could still stand was a testament to his determination. It was no wonder the other trial-goers hadn't yet managed to figure it out. Reaching over to a rock, Clemont pushed himself up and stared out at the white surface of the biggest lake before them. The sound of rushing water hit his ears, and he could tell that this was where the canal appeared to end, pouring over in a waterfall.

"This is the last lake, right?" Ash wheezed out. Both of their bodies were clearly heavy with the dampness. Clemont squinted through his drenched glasses, trying to peer over the misty lake. All he could see were some black shapes in the distance. He faced Ash, who looked pensive, and it appeared that both of the boys had the exact same idea. "Greninja, can you examine the lake? But be careful!"

"Keep a lookout for any Magikarp," Clemont insisted. Greninja nodded at both of them as Pikachu cheered him on. He dove into the lake, disappearing into the mist. The boys continued to stare out over its surface, the unrelenting rain pounding bruises into them. Yet they didn't move. "Nothing but Magikarp in the first two lakes…let's see if there are any here…"

"I don't think Magikarp can fly," Ash said. Clemont nodded; he had clearly noticed it, too, that the shapes in the mist were not standing or flopping or swimming, but flying. A sloshing of water returned Greninja to their side and he shook his head. The hypothesis was confirmed.

"No Magikarp," Clemont hummed out, causing Ash to nod his head. He folded his arms around himself in a hug, as if to ward off the rain, while he spoke. "Like they've been driven away to the other lakes. Or maybe the other Pokémon were gathered here."

"Or both," Ash pointed out. Pikachu looked up at him, his ears twitching like he heard the sounds of the other Pokémon in the distance. "Clemont, are there any Pokémon that can create a rain storm like this on their own? I mean, other than Rain Dance."

"Well, sure," Clemont stated. He tapped his chin as he considered all of the possibilities before them. "It's a long shot, but I do think that both Politoed and Pelipper have the ability Drizzle…oh! That would explain the fliers…But…"

"Yeah…why here?" Ash said, frowning. Or, rather, Clemont thought he was, since he couldn't really see him properly through the rain. The inventor put his mind to the task, trying to think of why so many Pelipper and Politoed would come only to this lake…and why they would  _all_  come to the lake. He closed his eyes, almost listening to the sound of the crushing waterfall when he felt like he could hear something. Something small. Something like a cry. He whipped towards Ash, who did the same. "Of course!"

"It  _is_  a Pokémon!" Clemont exclaimed, feeling positively giddy about their discovery. "But it's not creating the storm…"

"It's gathering the ones that are!" Ash concluded. He raised his head upward, the rain practically falling into his mouth. "Isn't that right, Lana? !"

Ash's voice echoed around the lake, and as if it was breaking a spell, the rain began to lighten. It turned from a white sheet of knives into a still fast-falling, but far less torrential rain. They could actually see once more. And in their sight they heard the sloshing of water. In the center of the lake was Lana, standing on top of her Lapras. A shiver ran down Clemont's back: she was no doubt back in her scary mode. Behind her were the others, all looking just as drenched, if better taken care of than the duo on the banks of the lake.

"What made you figure it out?" she asked with a smile. "Even without entering the water…"

"Because there was nothing but Magikarp up there, and none of them down here," Ash pointed out, grinning. He whipped his rain jacket off, clearly feeling that he no longer needed it. "But there's no reason so many Pokémon with the same ability would gather together like that unless they were called together."

"Hee…" Lana laughed out, placing a hand to her mouth. "You'd be right."

"Yes!" Ash said, pumping his fist. Greninja threw his into the air, as if happy he had helped. Only, Clemont knew it wasn't over. They had cleared the first part of the trial, but it wasn't done yet. Clearly, Ash knew that, because his body never relaxed once, even as Lana turned towards the waterfall.

"It's amazing what Pokémon can create when they work together…" she expressed, her tone wistful and almost reminiscing. "When a Pokémon or a person is on their own, they seem so weak and fragile, but the more they work together…well, they could probably build and move mountains. Just like how two in love can create life, and then sharing that with Tapu Lele is blessed. Then they work with others until that life grows into an adult who then continues the cycle.  _That's_  why I had you work together.

"Congratulations on clearing the first part of the Trial of Lana."

"All right!" Ash cheered once more, coming over to Clemont to put an arm around his shoulder. "Thanks, Clemont! Without you, I probably wouldn't have figured it out."

"Oh, I didn't do much…but I was glad to help you figure it out," the inventor assured him. He wanted to accept the praise fully, but all he could think about was his failed invention. Ash patted him on the back as the cheers (muted as they were) from their companions reached across the lake.

"So…now we battle, right?" Ash asked. A grin was on his face, even if it was still continually raining. Lana smiled, but it wasn't the soft, serene one she had worn before. It was dark, like she was looking forward to battling Ash…perhaps even hoping to outright destroy him.

"Yes…you get to battle against the very Pokémon that called all those others here…" Lana said. She didn't move from her Lapras, yet the water around her began to churn and bubble. "I wonder if you know what it is…Either way, you're allowed to use three Pokémon to defeat the Totem. If you do that, you'll have cleared the trial."

"Well, we're ready for any…thing…" Ash's voice died and he swallowed. Clemont nearly fell back, bracing himself against a rock that was on the bank. The water that churned finally broke, splashing back. Once more, Ash and Clemont were drenched (not that they were ever not), while the girls were all pushed back. Rotom flitted around, shaking itself of the water. Lana, however, didn't even move, looking perfectly calm.

Then, from the water emerged a positively giant Pokémon, looking like a whole gathering of fish put together. They were shaped almost like a giant blue whale, with white eyes that looked like fishes themselves. Clemont felt his hand trembling as a great orange aura flared to life around the giant Pokémon. And when Clemont said "giant", he felt that even that was an under-exaggeration…it almost eclipsed a whole part of the lake.

"Wishiwashi, will you fight with me?" Lana asked sweetly, though her tone was so dark, Clemont almost feared for Ash's life.

"Ohh…this is a Wishiwashi?" Rotom said, floating towards the giant Totem Pokémon. "Interesting…this is not in Rotom's data. Rotom only has it that Wishiwashi is the Small Fry Pokémon, and that it's awfully weak and notably tasty, so everyone is always out to get it. As it happens, anyone trying to bully it receives a painful lesson."

"Certainly looks painful," Serena's voice said worriedly. "Ash, be careful!"

"That Wishiwashi doesn't look like the Pokémon that Rotom's showing us at all…" Bonnie said. Clemont had to agree, trying to stop his shaking. He calmed enough to see Ash standing there firmly. Once more, his hairs pricked up, indicating that they were being watched once more, though Clemont didn't look away to see who.

"Don't worry guys, I'll do this," he said, gripping a pokeball. "Three on one, huh? Then Pikipek, I choose you!"

"Wissssssh!" the Totem Pokémon cried loudly. The waterfall was disturbed by its booming voice as Lana smirked. A pair of Pelipper floated down to join the giant fish and a Politoed was waiting in the water below. Clemont gazed around, finding there was no trial officiate like there was with Ilima. No, this was a battle against nature itself, against combined forces. He clenched his fist; Ash would overcome it no problem.

"You have the first move, Ash," Lana said coldly, her voice dropping an octave. The grin on Ash's face told him that the boy knew she was taking it all seriously and he was doing the same.

"Pikipek, start off with Drill Peck!" Ash ordered, punching forward. Clemont's eyes widened a little as he stood. Ash was just as confident as ever, even with the rain and exhaustion no doubt setting in. He never failed to impress. Pikipek shot right for Wishiwashi, spinning furiously. White streaks flew off from her beak. The Pelipper shot forward with Wishiwashi's growl, and Lana watched and waited. Both of the Pelipper opened their mouth and fired a Water Gun off at Pikipek. Too much into her attack, the Woodpecker Pokémon was struck by the Water Gun and fell back.

"Piki…" she shuddered out, shaking her head and spreading her wings, raising them outward confidently. Ash continued grinning.

"We'll need to take care of those Pokémon, so use Echoed Voice, wide range!" Ash ordered. His feet shifted on the embankment, muddying themselves slightly. Pikipek opened her beak wide and the sound waves of the attack, golden in the midst of the rain, fired out. The Pelipper were blown back and the Politoed dove under the surface to escape. Wishiwashi, buoyantly floating in the air, had no such room to escape and seemed to shudder. Regardless, it seemed to have done the trick. "Use Drill Peck!"

"Ice Beam," Lana said darkly, if calmly. Wishiwashi opened its enormous maw, firing the frigid beam right at Pikipek. Ash called for her to dodge and she shot upward. It was a good thing, too, as the beam struck the rocks behind Ash, freezing them completely solid.

"Oh my!" Lillie gasped at the sight. Clemont was inclined to agree with her. It had taken only seconds; Ash knew not to play around with this particular Totem Pokémon. Pikipek continued spinning, still having her free path, and she slammed in between Wishiwashi's eyes, driving the giant Pokémon back. Clemont looked to Ash, seeing how he was reacting to the Ice Beam.

"I know that look…" the inventor muttered under his breath. Ash was already thinking of something: a way to use Ice Beam to his advantage. It made him wonder just who Ash had chosen to take down the Totem.

"Poli!" the Politoed from under the water cried. Clemont snapped his attention back and he grimaced. This was no simple battle…Ash didn't have just one opponent to focus on, and it showed that he had made the single mistake of forgetting about Politoed.

"Pikipek, dodge!" Ash called. But Pikipek was too busy recovering from her own attack. Politoed sailed forward, its fist imbued with ice as it punched Pikipek and sent her reeling. She recovered, but Clemont could see she was hurting from the attack. It didn't help that there was so much rain.

"Ash, you need to focus!" Clemont called to him. Ash nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the battle.

"Let's slow them all down, Feather Dance!" Ash ordered. Pikipek's eyes narrowed and she flapped her wings powerfully, sending a cascade of feathers over all of the Pokémon in the surrounding area. Each flinched a little, a light blue glow emanating off of their bodies.

"Hydro Pump, Wishiwashi," Lana now commanded, just as calm as ever. Ash clenched his fist and swung it outwards.

"Drill Peck, straight through it!" Pikipek gave yet another cry and began to spin, turning even faster and faster with her brilliant bright light. Wishiwashi's mouth opened, firing a powerful jet of water that could consume the little bird whole. Yet, just like her trainer, she didn't stop, spinning straight into it and cutting it apart until she reached the source, slamming once more on Wishiwashi's head.

"Sssshi!" Wishiwashi hissed, its tone guttural. Apparently, it didn't like being attacked that way. Three blue rings surrounded its body, making it glow green, clearly recovering some of its former strength. Ash didn't seem to care about the Aqua Ring.

"Keep it up with Drill Peck!" he shouted. Pikipek once more entered into a spinning dive. She swooped over the top of Wishiwashi, slashing across it with her beak before turning around once more and slamming into it again.

"Beat Up." Clemont felt like his heart was stopping for a moment. Lana's command was absolutely frightening, and the great roar that Wishiwashi then gave off was even more so. Its tail flipped up as the two Pelipper and Politoed rushed at Pikipek, the poor bird entrapped. She cried out, and then the two Steel Wings, Ice Punch and Wishiwashi's own powerful tail slammed into Pikipek. She fell. There was no way that tiny bird could take that many attacks at once and still be okay.

"Pikipek, return!" Ash called, grabbing his pokeball and calling his Pokémon back before she could hit the water's surface. He breathed in. "Thanks, Pikipek…you showed me exactly what to do. We'll win the next battle. Promise."

"Your Pikipek showed you what to do?" Lana asked, her voice once more sweet. Clemont, and Ash for that matter, weren't fooled this time by her faux sweetness. This girl and her Totem Wishiwashi were frightening.

"That's right. I think we'll only need one more round to end this. Dartrix, I choose you!"

"Darrroh!" Dartrix cried upon emerging, flicking his green feathers out of the way. Just as Pikipek had, he took to the sky, looking serious and determined.

"You ready, Dartrix?" Ash asked. Dartrix nodded, facing front in preparation. "Great, then use Leafage! Take them all out!"

"Roh!" Dartrix cried. He angled his wings outward, and Clemont watched as the multitude of sharp leaves flew out, like small knives, carried on a cyclone of wind. It almost looked like a different move entirely, now that Clemont could see it more clearly. The cyclone whirled around, surrounding the Totem Pokémon and all of its allies. The Blade Quill Pokémon flew forward, vanishing into the leaves. At Ash's command, he darted around, slamming into Pelipper and Politoed, all three of them too distracted by the leaves. They fell into the water, unstirring.

"Take it out with Ice Beam," Lana said, her tone back to being stern and scary. Wishiwashi turned slowly, menacingly, and once more sent the ice out at Dartrix. Some of the leaves froze, plopping into the water. Ash appeared to grin.

"Fly low, Dartrix! Skim the water!" he called. Dartrix shouted an affirmative and shot low, wings snapping out to allow him to glide. The Ice Beam followed, freezing the large surface of lake as he flew along. Despite the speed and power with which the frozen beam tracked him, Dartrix was the faster, swooping around the lake and under Wishiwashi. "Now fly towards the waterfall and strike it with Pluck!"

"Kooo!" Dartrix hooted, flapping straight up with precision. The Ice Beam followed, now freezing the waterfall before Dartrix got too far above Wishiwashi for it to follow. Then he soared straight down, his beak glowing blue as he slammed into Wishiwashi's back. It recoiled, tail flapping wildly. The Totem Pokémon began to roar, the sound echoing about the rainy lake; it was calling for more reinforcements. Ash, however, chose to not let that happen.

"Tackle, now!" Dartrix backed up and then sailed back and forth, quickly, its body sputtering blue, but not quite. Then it slammed straight into Wishiwashi with force before Dartrix whirled around. Clemont's eyes widened; for a moment, it seemed as though Dartrix was learning a new move, and from Ash's own expression, he had noticed the same. He didn't let it distract him, however. "Leafage, close range!"

"Freeze them!" Lana cried. It was the first time she actually sounded less scary and more frightened, herself. Dartrix flung his leaves out like knives again, all of them swirling about, cutting into Wishiwashi. It quickly obeyed Lana's order by firing off a powerful Ice Beam. The leaves froze once again, some raining down on the Totem, while others dripped off into the lake. "I'm sorry, Ash, but you'll need another round."

"What?" Ash asked flatly. Clemont finally tore his gaze from the battle to see Lana standing there, a smirk stretched across her face in a truly terrifying expression. Her arms were crossed, a bright blue glow coming from the Z-Ring around her wrist. Then she moved her hands up to her left side, flowing like water before moving across to her right. The blue light burst out. Over on one of the Lapras, Serena stood, along with Lillie.

"Hydro Vortex!" Lana shouted. Power joined with Wishiwashi and it shot forward. Ash didn't even have the chance to order for Dartrix to block or dodge. Clemont flinched. A new cyclone was formed, but instead of leaves, it was a giant water cyclone, generated straight from the lake, or so it seemed to Clemont. Dartrix was tossed about, slammed around by the Totem's giant body at every single turn, almost not visible through the swirling vortex. Then it faded, the water falling with the rain into the unfrozen parts of the lake. Wishiwashi turned towards its prey. Dartrix remained airborne for a single moment and then fell back, plummeting on to the frozen surface of the lake. Just a single resistant Z-Move had taken him out.

Ash sighed and took his pokeball out to bring back the floating Dartrix. "I should have seen that coming."

"Consider that it means your Dartrix was very strong," Lana said, her tone once more even from her near shouts. "If he kept going, his speed and strength would have taken Wishiwashi out, and I couldn't have that."

"Ha," Ash laughed out under his breath. He took ahold of his hat and adjusted it a bit, rain dripping off its ends as he looked out to Serena and the others. Clemont looked at them, too, noticing that Lillie was watching with her hands by her chest, Nebby looking on in interest. Serena seemed less concerned, nodding her head at her boyfriend. He grinned. Lana faltered. "I have to admit, I thought Dartrix would win, but there's no way we're losing this one! Pikachu, you're up, buddy!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, dashing forward onto the ice.

"Of course…" Clemont breathed, chuckling to himself. "You made an ice field so Pikachu would have more room to move."

"That's right," Ash said. "Now we're ready to win. Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled, calling his orb of electricity to his tail. Wishiwashi glowed green, proving that the effects of Aqua Ring were still very much in place. "Pika pika pika pika pika chu pi!"

"Use Hydro Pump!" Lana ordered. Pikachu fired his Electro Ball off before Wishiwashi could obey, the powerful attack impacting with the Totem's underside. It grunted in pain, feeling the effect of the attack far more than the others before. It didn't flounder long, however, rearing back and firing the powerful blast of water at Pikachu.

"Slide to the side," Ash ordered. Pikachu grinned and leaned his body one way. The Hydro Pump slammed into the ice but managed to not break it. Pikachu avoided it entirely, though, skidding across the ice. Ash punched forward and Pikachu got the message. His body sparked with shocks and then he sent the electricity out in a blistering Thunderbolt that consumed Wishiwashi, leaving sparks on its body that Aqua Ring couldn't heal.

"Ssssssshiii!" Wishiwashi roared. A cry sounded from up above, two more Pelipper descending into the area, once more joining the fray. Ash appeared to stiffen, knowing what the resurgence of allies would mean. In fact, Lana didn't even give the order this time; Wishiwashi merely sprang into action, its giant tail and the two Pelipper aiming right for Pikachu.

"Use Iron Tail and go underneath the ice!" Ash cried out, throwing his hand to the side. Pikachu leapt back, spinning as he brought his glowing white tail to the ice with a crack, splitting a chunk of it open. Then he leapt underneath the water, the attacks sailing harmlessly overhead.

"Pikachu isn't a water Pokémon," Lana commented. Ash turned to her, tilting his hat up just a little bit. "He can't hide in the water forever."

"Who said we were hiding?" Ash asked, once more affixing a grin to his face. Serena clapped her hands with Bonnie's as both cheered. The battle hadn't been won yet, but the sheer expression of confidence on Ash's face said it might as well have been. "Pikachu, now! Counter Shield!"

"Pika…" came the muffled cry of Ash's closest partner. Suddenly, the ice burst forth, Pikachu springing out from it with a spin, his Thunderbolt zapping all around. "…CHUUUUUUU!"

The Pelipper cried out, dropping onto the icy surface with dazed expressions while Wishiwashi convulsed from the attack. Its eyes flashed dangerously and it opened its mouth to send a stream of blue ice right for Pikachu.

"Counter with Electro Ball!" Ash ordered. Pikachu wasted no time, barely having the chance to form the orb that then collided with the Ice Beam. Its hastiness proved to be its undoing and the Ice Beam consumed it before colliding with Pikachu, driving him back onto the ice, small chunks of it breaking up. Ash's body stiffened with a grin. Clemont chuckled. "Ah! Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ice and fling it at Wishiwashi!"

"Chu pika!" Pikachu cried, once more breaking the ice apart with his glowing tail before swinging said tail back and forth. The ice flew forward, battering Wishiwashi and preventing it from moving. Ash and Pikachu weren't staying still, though.

"Get on top of Wishiwashi using the ice!"

"It's just like against Sawyer!" Bonnie cried as Pikachu leapt forward, springing so quickly atop the ice that Clemont lost track of him. In no time, he had reached the waterfall, bounding off of it and on top of the Small Fry Pokémon. He grinned, and at Ash's order charged his cheeks up.

"Finish it with Thunderbolt!" Pikachu let it rip, the searing bolt of lightning consuming Wishiwashi, all the more impressive by the rain all around it. The Totem Pokémon flipped and flopped in midair, continuing to convulse until it just stopped, as did Pikachu's attack. The two combatants waited a moment and then puff clouds surrounded Wishiwashi. The rain cleared suddenly, allowing the sun to stream in and melt the remaining ice over the lake. Pikachu dropped to the ground, and with him was a little fish…well, about the same size as Pikachu, but little compared to its other form.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, poking at the fish. Clemont breathed out. There was no referee to give the order, but it was clear that one wasn't needed for this particular trial. Wishiwashi had reverted forms, signaling its defeat. The ice Pikachu was standing on melted and he and the little form of Wishiwashi that Rotom had shown earlier dropped into the water. The latter swam off quickly, but Pikachu returned to his trainer's side.

"You did it, Pikachu!" Ash cried, grabbing his best friend and hugging him. They were both soaked to the bone from the rain, but from the giddy expressions on their faces, one would have never known it. Another sloshing of water was heard as Lana and the Lapras bearing their friends approached the shore.

"Yay! Ash cleared another trial!" Bonnie cheered the second they touched the shore. Lillie clapped her hands together, looking absolutely enthralled with the battle that had just taken place. For someone who disliked battles, she certainly seemed to have enjoyed watching it…at least, when she wasn't freaking out, probably.

"Congratulations, Ash!" Serena said, flinging her arms around her boyfriend and giving him a spontaneous kiss at his victory. He grinned at her as she detached herself before he looked over to Lana, the girl holding a case in her hands. Now that the rain was cleared, Clemont could see a pillar, similar to the one in Verdant Cavern, at the back of the hill.

"I really understand what you meant now, Lana," Ash said, rubbing at his dripping nose. The trial captain tilted her head, looking curiously. Gone were the scary expressions and she had reverted to being a complete sweetheart again. "When you talked about how Pokémon could come together to do incredible things…it was the same with Wishiwashi, wasn't it?"

"Ah! Rotom understands!" Rotom cried, quickly spinning around multiple times to record data. "That was Wishiwashi's  _School_  Form, made by many Wishiwashi working together in concert! This is fascinating! Rotom has learned something quite interesting."

"Yes," Lana answered, cutting off the Pokédex's babbling. "When those little ones come together, they can do the impossible. You did the same. All three of your Pokémon contributed to the battle in some way and helped you to overcome your trial. I haven't seen anyone do it so well in quite some time."

"Hehe, thanks," Ash said, removing his hand from his nose. Lana stepped forward and held her case out, opening it wide. Everyone leaned in to catch a glimpse of what was inside: a blue wedge to place on the Trial Amulet, and a crystal, the same one upon Lana's wrist.

"As proof of clearing the Trial of Lana, I present to you the wedge for your Trial Amulet, as well as the Waterium-Z, used to activate Hydro Vortex." She smiled again, and for the first time, Clemont felt serene upon seeing it. He may have been soaked and muddied, but like the storm that had finally ended, Lana's smile shone through like the sun, filling him with warmth. Ash reached forward, clasping his hand around the two items. He grinned and held them high.

"All right! I got the Waterium-Z!" Ash cried proudly. Pikachu popped up as Lillie and Bonnie began to clap.

"Pipikachu!"

"Nice job, Ash," Clemont finally said, catching his breath a little. Ash closed the distance between them, slugging an arm around him in a hug.

"Thanks to your help!" The girls all laughed as Clemont flushed with embarrassment. He still felt like he hadn't really done much to help Ash clear his trial. His invention  _had_  been useless after all. Still, he felt grateful that Ash considered his efforts indispensable, so he laughed along with the girls finally.

"This is your first trial on Akala, right?" Lana questioned. Ash disengaged from Clemont to nod at the girl. "Then you'll be heading for Lush Jungle next."

"That was the plan. Mallow said she'd be waiting for me," Ash told the bluenette. Lana nodded before turning and looking out over the water.

"I hope you beat her…" she said, folding her hands behind her back. "I haven't had so much fun in a battle in a long time. I know Mallow will enjoy your trial, too. And Kiawe."

"You three must be close," Serena said. Lana nodded, still smiling, like she was recalling a happy memory. "Maybe, when Ash beats all three and challenges the Kahuna, you'd all want to watch?"

Lana whipped around, and this time Clemont saw her eyes actually shining brightly with happiness. "I'd like that very much! Tell the others and I'm sure they'll call me."

"Of course," Ash agreed. Clemont watched as he placed his wedge on to his amulet and then the crystal on his Z-Ring. The Z-Ring glowed and then appeared to absorb the crystal, melting into its surface. The sun was blazing overhead now and the black-haired trainer's stomach rumbled. "Guess we're a little hungry, huh, buddy?"

"Pikachu…" Pikachu chuckled out as well. At those words, Lana clapped her hands together.

"Then I'll escort you all to the Pokémon Center for a meal! We can take the waterfall and canal. It's a quick way up," she told them happily.

"That would be nice," Lillie said, looking just a little embarrassed. "I'm pretty hungry too, and I don't want to walk up all that way. I don't mind a little dirt, but…"

"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty exhausted. I don't mind not walking," Clemont admitted. Now that he thought on it, his rain coat was really filthy; he was just glad that the rest of him wasn't. Bonnie reached over and patted him on one of his few clean spots.

"Oh, Clemont…" she said, shaking her head.

"Looks like we're taking you up on that offer then, Lana," Ash indicated. The captain nodded and indicated for them all to board the Lapras. Clemont did so gratefully, seating himself carefully next to a soaked Ash and Serena. Before the Lapras moved off, Lana stared out over the lake and the blond inventor caught sight of Wishiwashi underneath.

"Looks like I'll have to think of a new way to hold the trial…wonder if that will make some swimmer boys come," she said absentmindedly. She may have turned much kinder, but she was still completely kooky. With a light tap, the Lapras were off, water suddenly spouting underneath them to carry them to the top of the (admittedly short) waterfall.

As they hit the crest, Clemont stiffened, along with his friends, and they all turned back, Lillie and Lana oblivious (one from fear and the other from…well, being Lana). It was just a second, a split second of feeling like someone had been watching them the entire trial. Or maybe it felt like they were being watched  _over_. Whatever it was, Clemont only saw the brief flash of black and green on top of a rock face before it was gone, vanishing into the wilds as though it had never been there at all. He just faced forward and tried to ignore it, along with the other things continually clawing at his brain, with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Another trial complete! Truth be told, I had a lot of fun writing this one. It was a little less action and more of this mystery for them figuring out what was going on. Plus, the structure Lana gave them allowed me to work with Clemont, who's been a little overshadowed…which is the point. As for the Totem battle, yes, it was different. I can't have every single one be your usual 3v3 after all! That would get so boring after a while! So, both to showcase how impressively strong Totem Wishiwashi was and to give a different format, you had this 3v1. I think it's still impressive because Ash had to deal with other Pokémon. And Pikachu got to star after that brutal defeat against Null!
> 
> Of course, you know me, and no chapter is truly complete without hinting at some deeper plot, and this one certainly did. What seems to be watching our heroes? Or watching over, maybe? Who knows…? But rest assured, the answer should be obvious and come soon, along with Mallow's trial! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all of it. For now, however, please do Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	19. A Rendezvous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on the SnowLilyShipping (Hau/Lillie) that I've been very slowly developing: I didn't just pull this out of thin air on shipping preferences, and nor will it ever really take Hau's character over (not that he appears here, but needs to be said). However! Hau does have a canonical crush on Lillie in the games, and that's where I took it from. With that cleared up, time for Chapter 19!

Chapter 19

A Rendezvous

The trip up the canal through Brooklet Hill, and the subsequent lunch they took at the Pokémon Center, were surprisingly quick. To Ash's surprise, Lana was a very chipper girl, despite some of the very strange vibes she gave off. Not as happy-go-lucky as, perhaps, someone like Mallow, but at least someone decent to talk to. Lillie seemed to resonate the most with her, the both of them being relatively demure. Not that Ash was inclined to do much talking, he and his Pokémon too busy stuffing their faces.

"Slow down, Ash," Serena laughed out, rubbing her chilly egg, now back in her arms. On the floor were her own Pokémon, each of them enjoying an easy lunch with one another. "You eat too fast and you'll get a stomachache. I don't think you'll want that for the road ahead."

"I know, but what can I shay?" Ash asked, about to stuff a whole sandwich in his mouth. He quickly thought better of it and decided to just take a large bite instead. As he did, his gaze went to his Z-Ring. Two crystals. Two of seven trials down. He wasn't any closer to mastering Z-Moves quite yet, trying to believe it would happen when it needed to, but he wanted to think he had taken steps forward.

He  _wanted_  to think that.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, looking up at him from where he was sitting on the table. Ash finished eating the sandwich and reached over to ruffle his fur.

"It's nothing, buddy," he said with a chuckle. "Just looking forward to the next trial."

"I wonder what Mallow has planned," Serena said. She looked at Lana, as if hoping for an answer, but the girl was humming softly, clearly back in her own little world once again. His girlfriend just shrugged her shoulders and went back to cleaning the egg off of any grime that had resulted during the rainy trial.

After the group concluded their lunch, though it involved a slight snag of Chespin and Pancham fighting over a malasada that Serena had made the night before, they were all ready to head north towards Lush Jungle.

"Be sure to give Mallow my best," Lana said with smiling eyes. "I want to hold some more trials while I can, so I'll just wish you luck, Ash."

"Yeah. You'll be hearing about me challenging Olivia sooner than later, so look out for that," Ash told her, putting a fist in front of his face. Lana giggled a little and nodded. When she stopped, she reached her hand out, prompting him to shake it as a sign of respect. "All right, then. Let's get moving!"

"Yes," Lillie said enthusiastically. The reaction surprised Ash a little, but he answered by grabbing Serena's hand and beginning to run away from the Pokémon Center. Bonnie and Clemont issued hasty goodbyes and then were running off after them.

Ash glanced back towards Brooklet Hill and the shrinking Lana. The sun was shining once more, the rain clouds from over the hill having vanished, bathing it like sparkling water. Lana continued to wave cheerfully until Ash and the others turned past a line of rocks, and she was lost from sight. Once she had, they slowed their pace, allowing Clemont and Lillie to catch their breaths a little (Clemont more than Lillie).

"Pew!" Nebby suddenly cried, hopping out of the bag with freedom once more. He moved ahead of their group happily, a smile dancing all over his face as he swayed back and forth in the sunlight.

"Nebby tends to like the sun, I've noticed," Lillie commented, shaking her large hat a bit. Ash noticed it was still somewhat wet, despite Braixen having dried their clothes for them back at the Center.

"He's totally just like Squishy, then," Bonnie commented, gamboling through the fields and grass to come up near Nebby. He cried out, but only laughed strangely when Bonnie reached down to pick him up and tickle him. Even Dedenne joined in by using his tail. After a moment, though, Bonnie stopped. "I still hope he's doing all right…"

"Squishy's just fine," Serena assured her, using one hand to clasp Bonnie's shoulder kindly. The lemon blonde nodded, wiping her downcast expression off and replacing it with a smile. "Besides, I'm sure you'll find each other again."

"Just like you found Ash…" Bonnie teased, ribbing her again. Nebby wriggled free of Bonnie's arms, hopping happily back over into Lillie's. Serena laughed out, not even sounding embarrassed about what was supposed to be teasing. Seeing that her tactics weren't working, Bonnie seemed to throw her hands behind her head. "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if we ran into Hau? Then Lillie and he could have alone time together…"

"What…?" Lillie asked, clutching at Nebby a little tighter than the cloud seemed to want it. "I…I certainly hope Hau is doing well, but I'd  _much_  prefer to have him off on his own adventures instead of spending time with me."

"Reeeeally?" Bonnie snickered out. Clemont surged forward to put his Aipom Arm on her so he'd keep her in line. She just stuck her tongue out at him. Lillie walked a little forward to put a hand on Serena's shoulder. Ash looked behind, watching Rotom take a picture of a Pokémon he called a Fomantis, but Ash didn't get a very good look at it.

"So, Serena, how far is Lush Jungle?" Lillie asked, hoping to completely change the subject. It appeared to work, because her question inspired Rotom to move on and land on top of Bonnie's head, annoying the girl enough that she dropped her line of conversation. Neither of them had let this morning go, apparently. Serena, ignoring them completely, took out her map and brought Lush Jungle up.

"Hmm…I don't think we'll be able to get there until tomorrow…oh!" she said, drawing Ash's attention to her. He came up behind her and both he and Pikachu leaned over her shoulder to get a glimpse at what she was talking about. "There's no Pokémon Center near Lush Jungle. I mean, there is, but unlike the other Trials, we'd have to head probably half a day north…which seems like a waste."

"Especially when we'll have to get back to Heahea City sooner than later," Ash agreed. He pulled back, folding his arms and screwing his face up into a thoughtful expression. Lillie stared between the two of them and then asked a question he hadn't expected.

"Are there any other lodgings nearby?" Serena's eyes lit up and she zoomed in on the map, scrolling along until she could find an answer to Lillie's question. Ash watched her from behind, her skirt bouncing a little as they walked.

"Yes! There's a hotel that appears to be for travelers. We could stop there for the night and complete our travels in the morning!"

"Great, then we're all set!" Ash said, running forward a bit and pointing his finger to the sky. Pikachu grinned on his shoulder. "Nice thinking, Lillie. We have our destination in order!"

"Thank you!" Lillie said, pumping both of her fists. She almost looked like a little girl as she did it, but the action invigorated and emboldened all of them.

Picking up the pace, the group strove to make the hotel by nightfall. It wasn't the hardest task, distance-wise, but the terrain soon became extremely difficult to travel, especially with Serena holding such precious cargo. Eventually some of the ridges they had to explore only became possible thanks to a group effort from their Pokémon (and one of Clemont's exploding machines, but Grubbin had interfered, so he didn't like to talk about it). Between Chespin, Sylveon and Greninja hoisting them up, with Dartrix lifting Bonnie from the air as Rotom snarked about her inability to float, they were eventually able to ascend the rocky area and look upon the brightly lit hotel. If Ash looked beyond, he felt he could see the rustling trees of Lush Jungle. It was only a short distance, so he knew he and his Pokémon would have to be prepared.

Easier said than done when they all felt almost dead on their feet just dragging themselves to the hotel receptionist.

"R…room for five," Serena gasped out. The receptionist regarded them with a mix of amusement and near fear.

"You kids come from Brooklet Hill?" she asked as she marked and checked things off. Ash nodded, slumped against the wall. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that he was actually close to getting some rest for the day, he realized how utterly exhausted he was. "Yeah, I thought so."

"Why, pretty lady?" Bonnie asked. She seemed to get a twinkle in her eye, but was too exhausted to actually act on it. The woman chuckled, tossing two keys up, considering he was the only one standing.

"Because no one likes to get here from Brooklet Hill," she answered. "The terrain is pretty rough. Easy to traverse on your way from, say, Lush Jungle, but from the opposite direction, it's nasty. In fact, we had another trio who came that way, and they looked worse off than you."

"That…would have been really great to know," Clemont breathed with an ironic chuckle on his lips. "My legs feel like jelly after the trial and all…I only just noticed, ha ha."

"I feel like Mallow just played a very mean joke on us…" Lillie voiced in a whine.

"Rotom feels fine," Rotom indicated. That appeared to give Bonnie the requisite energy to pounce on him. Ash sighed, taking it as an indication that they should get moving to their assigned room. Helping both Serena and Lillie up from the ground, Ash opened the door for everyone.

The hotel was different than most he had been in, given that they could access their room from the outside. Slugging along, Ash turned to see what looked like a familiar face entering a room down the way, while the aforementioned room that had been given to the earlier travelers was snapping its own door shut. Ash yawned, not wanting to pay them much mind as he unlocked their door. They shuffled in and instantly flopped upon their beds. Clemont was out in an instant.

"Ash…" Serena called, and he realized that his girlfriend was lying right next to him on the bed. The others were already practically out like lights, not even noticing. "You mind if we…take tomorrow off? Head for the trial the next day…?"

"Sure…sounds good to me," he breathed. Serena rolled over, practically on top of him, the egg nestled between them as she fell asleep. Ash just breathed out, lifting his Z-Ring to the air and glancing at it, two crystals seemingly contained inside. Pikachu was snoring on the end of the bed and Ash brought a smile to his lips. It was something.

Wrapping his arm around Serena, he drifted into an easy sleep.

* * *

"Okay everyone, today we're going to try something different," Serena said clapping her hands together. Ash turned his head to see his girlfriend in front of all four of her Pokémon. Out of all of them, Popplio looked to be listening the best, no doubt wanting to impress her greatly. Ash chuckled and turned to Clemont.

He was glad Serena had asked for the day off. After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast, they were all fired up. Bonnie and Lillie sat to the side, watching Serena instructing her Pokémon while the former took care of the egg, and even Ash was distracted from his own training session for his trial tomorrow. Serena was more fired up than ever, clearly inspired from his own performance at yesterday's trial.

"Right, so here's what we'll do," Serena said positively. "Popplio, you're going to be the star in this case, so just pay attention to me, all right? We'll shift in between Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon, so you get a feel of what it's like to work with both me and the others. I know we've practiced between the two of us before, but we need to all work together. Sound like a plan?"

"Pah!" Popplio cried, slapping her flippers together enthusiastically.

"Great. Braixen, can you and the others wait over there while we start?" Braixen nodded and Serena's veteran partners returned to the side with Bonnie and Lillie, the latter watching adoringly. Serena tapped her foot to some unknown beat before sliding back and forth, sending herself into a twirl. "Popplio, Bubblebeam upward."

"Pahpah!" Popplio barked out, creating a slew of bubbles from her nose that traveled upward, above Serena's head and began cascading down. Serena grabbed one of the bubbles and tossed it at her Water type. Popplio bounded back onto her tail and then leapt at the bubble, landing atop its springy surface.

"Great job, now leap from bubble to bubble," Serena commanded cheerfully, the omnipresent smile on her face. Her hands and fingers danced back and forth as the bubbles all floated around her. Popplio flipped back and forth, slapping her flippers together. Ash chuckled a bit; they really looked like they were destined to be partners. "Okay, Sylveon, join in with a Swift."

"Sylvie!" Sylveon said happily, prancing forward to dance around Serena. Her feelers sent out stars that collided with the bubbles, causing them to pop. The effect was spectacular, the water raining with the sparkle of stars. Unfortunately, it seemed to screw things up. Popplio was unable to time her leap correctly and crash-landed to the field they were practicing on.

"Lioooo…" she whimpered out. Serena instantly stopped her routine to reach down to her Pokémon.

"It's okay Popplio, that was my mistake…" Serena pointed out. She seemed thoughtful of things as Clemont cleared his throat across the field. Ash couldn't stop watching, though, even as Sylveon wrapped her feelers around the Sea Lion Pokémon apologetically. "That's it! Sylveon will just have to catch you!"

"Pikipik!" Ash turned back just in time for Pikipek to affectionately tap him between his eyes. He stumbled a bit and finally realized how distracted he'd become, especially with Pikachu shaking his head.

"Sorry, Pikipek! Sorry. I got distracted," Ash said. Pikipek nodded her head, glad they'd come to that conclusion before she settled back on to his shoulder. Focusing himself once more, Ash turned to the rest of his team, assembled before him. "All right guys, we're already up for our next trial tomorrow, which means we really need to give it our all!"

"Rruff!" Rockruff barked the most enthusiastically. Ash grinned at the puppy and put his fist forward.

"Right, so for all that, we need to do some training. Clemont's even offered to help us. How about a triple battle?"

"Sounds good to me. It's been a while since Luxray's had a good battle," Clemont called across the dirt field they were at. In front of the inventor, Luxray pawed at the ground, throwing a challenging look Greninja's way. Bunnelby was slightly more apathetic while Chespin quickly stuffed an old macaron he'd been saving into his mouth. "Let's just make it if we take down two of the other side, huh?"

"Sounds like a definite plan. Rockruff, Dartrix, Greninja, you guys are up!" Ash called. He threw his arm across his chest, stretching his muscles a bit. "We need a lot more training of dealing with multiple Pokémon at once in an official battle like this, so this'll be good practice."

"Then let  _us_  make the first move! Electric Terrain!" Clemont called. Luxray hunkered down, the electricity and resulting steam covering the battlefield. Ash had a feeling he'd be using that move.

"Rockruff, you use Rock Polish! Dartrix, kick things off with a Tackle! Greninja, provide some cover with Double Team," Ash said shouting forward. In particular, he paid attention to Dartrix. After the way he'd moved during the battle against Wishiwashi yesterday, he knew they were on the verge of something. Rockruff's body sparked and he instantly ordered a Bite towards Bunnelby.

"Bunnelby, use Double Slap!" Clemont called. Multiple copies of Greninja covered the battlefield, obscuring Rockruff from view as she ran headlong at Bunnelby. Ash consistently flicked his eyes between the three targets, looking for how to engage all of them. As soon as Greninja had saturated the field, he ordered a Cut towards Luxray before snapping back over to Dartrix, who was practically flipping through the air. His eyes narrowed.

"Darrroh!" Dartrix cried out as his body glowed blue. Pikachu gasped in surprise and Ash smirked. Clemont hardly looked surprised, even as the zipping force of Dartrix's attack slammed into Chespin and tossed him backwards.

"Cheeees…" Chespin whined, but he got to his feet.

"I had a feeling that was the case," Clemont called across. Greninja and Luxray locked themselves into a stalemate between Cut and Thunder Fang, all while Rockruff avoided the Double Slap to bite into Bunnelby. He responded without Clemont's orders to fling a Mud Shot straight at her. "Yesterday, Dartrix's body glowed blue."

"I noticed it, too," Ash confirmed. All three of the opponents leapt apart, except for Bunnelby and Rockruff, who appeared to be straining against one another without using an attack.

"Koo?" Dartrix said, turning his head in slight confusion. Ash walked onto the battlefield towards Dartrix, leaning down when he'd reached the owl. He placed a hand on top of his head and Dartrix practically purred into it.

"You're awesome, Dartrix, learning Acrobatics like that. I'm really proud of you," he told him. Dartrix hooted happily. On his shoulder, Pikipek puffed her chest out and took to the air, landing on top of Dartrix. "Don't worry, Pikipek, you're awesome, too."

"All of your Pokémon have been growing really nicely," Clemont commented. "I wonder if it's because you're such a skilled trainer, or maybe just the environment they've grown in with you."

"I don't know," Ash admitted with a laugh. "All I know is that all of us are gonna keep growing together!"

"Pikee!"

"Pika!"

"Rockruff!" Ash laughed out when a sudden loud noise from Serena's part of the field sounded out, revealing a giant bubble splashing upon her and Popplio, Pancham landing in her arms.

"Well, that didn't work…I guess the bigger the bubble, the less sturdy it is," Serena said. Popplio and Pancham looked a little disappointed, but Ash could tell she wasn't blaming anyone. She seemed to just be trying new methods, working them out piece by piece. Judging from Sylveon's pleased expression, she had already figured out a routine with those two.

"I think you should keep it simple," Lillie suggested from her seat. Rotom was busy attempting to take pictures of Nebby as she did so. "They look more elegant when they're simple."

"Simple…" Serena mused. "Less clutter on the stage, maybe? Thanks, Lillie, you have some really great ideas."

"No, no," Lillie answered, blushing a little with embarrassment as she traced her knee with her finger. "I just…I think you look very pretty dancing, but the more you use flashy moves, the less people see your smile and how much fun you're all having."

"I didn't think of it like that," Serena agreed. Ash smiled, glad that Serena appeared to have figured something out. He could already see her and her team thinking of all the different combinations, even if none of them were saying a word. "Why don't we all take a break? I baked some Pokepuffs early this morning!"

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Clemont called, obviously putting a hold to their practice battle. "Assuming Chespin hasn't decided to eat them all."

"Chespin ches!" Chespin argued back. Leaving trainer and Pokémon to argue with one another, Ash nodded at all of his Pokémon, telling them to get a snack. As they did so, mobbing around the case of Pokepuffs, Ash approached his girlfriend.

"Have everything figured out for Heahea, then?"

"I think so. Just need to know the theme," Serena explained, sitting on the wooden porch where Bonnie was now gleefully serving the Pokémon, and crossing her legs. She reached over and took her egg back to her lap as she did so. "Popplio is fitting in great. She has an awful lot of variation to her attacks and Sylveon already looks to get along great with her."

Ash couldn't argue with that one. Looking over at all the Pokémon snacking and feasting, they all looked to be getting along great. Rockruff appeared to be having a good time with Bunnelby, while Pikipek loved playing mediator between Chespin and Pancham, even if she was getting shoved aside from her small size. Serena was absolutely right about Sylveon and Popplio though, the two even practicing mini-Performance moves on their own. Ash chuckled at the sight and turned back to his girlfriend, catching sight of the man from last night. This time, his face was more obvious.

"Mr. Looker!" Ash called, waving over to the inspector. He stopped, his eyes alighting at the sight of Ash and all his friends. "I didn't know you were coming this way. You left the ship before either of us really had the chance to catch up."

"Ah, yes, my apologies," Looker said, deciding to abandon his attempts to enter his room and instead stride up to Ash and Serena. Clemont and the others caught sight, deciding to join them and leave the Pokémon to their own snacking devices. "I had a meeting in Heahea City you see. Needed to learn where to meet my contact."

"ARC, right?" Ash asked, folding his arms. Looker nodded.

"So…you're meeting a member of ARC here, then?" Clemont asked of the inspector. Looker nodded, folding his arms, but not saying much more. Ash honestly didn't expect him to. For some of his kind and goofy traits, the man was very clearly an investigator first and foremost. That he had shared the fact he was meeting with ARC simply showed how much he trusted them.

"Um, excuse me, but what's ARC?" Lillie asked. Her bag was once more slung over her shoulder as she stood. It shook a little, but Nebby appeared to remain inside at the inspector's presence.

"The Artifact Recovery Corps," Clemont answered. "They search for old artifacts and legends that could be used to do evil, making sure they don't fall into the wrong hands. They're working for the League now, right?"

"That's correct," Looker said, looking mildly impressed by Clemont's explanation. Or he could have just been impressed with Clemont, since he had mentioned his exploits directly on the ferry. "Since they've taken up status within the League, things have become a lot easier for we of the International Police, as well as the G-Men."

"Oh…I didn't know all of this," Lillie said, almost looking ashamed that she hadn't obtained such knowledge. To the side, Ash noticed a Pokepuff rolling past, over to an incline that the hotel grounds ended on. He turned back to Looker.

"No shame in that," Ash told the blonde kindly. "ARC is pretty…secretive. I wouldn't be surprised if only those of us who battled at Geosenge Town knew about it. Now that I think about it…that's a lot of people…"

"It might be, but no one there really wants to talk about it, do they?" Serena said. Her voice had taken on a rather melancholic tone, prompting Ash to smile softly at her. Even Bonnie hung her head, bringing some of the mood down, while Lillie looked around confusedly.

"Ah, yes, I had heard…" Looker said sadly. "I was on assignment at the time with a young girl. That's why the G-Men had to step in to do investigations that I would usually. I had no doubt followed the news reports of all of you, Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie."

"Mmm…" Ash noted, registering how easily he remembered his friends' names from the single meeting. That recognition gave way to a different sort of recollection. For a moment, his hands trembled, though not with any sense of grief; that had passed long ago. If anything, it was a resonance with those around him, those that had felt the same pain. Ash breathed, steadying himself. Keeping his promise. "Anyway, Looker, you said you were working on taking down Team Skull? How's that going?"

"Slow going," Looker stated, finally unfolding his arms to rub the back of his head. "I've been told that ARC has some information on them, maybe, so I have to meet with them before I can report back and hear what my superiors decide to do."

"They certainly seem to be everywhere," Serena noted. Bonnie tugged lightly at her skirt, holding the egg up to her. Serena took it gratefully, having momentarily left it behind on the steps to speak with Looker, while Bonnie puffed her cheeks.

"Those mean Team Skull guys are just a real big problem. They tried to stop people from entering the Pokémon Center!" she told Looker. The investigator seemed to laugh at her complaint, though not in a mocking fashion, something that Bonnie understood.

"Yes, my intel tells me that they're generally all over the place, though most of the locals don't seem to think much of them," Looker indicated. He reached into the pocket of his coat and took out his notepad, a bunch of nearly illegible scrawls upon them. Ash tilted his head in interest. He had definitely witnessed a general apathy in regards to Team Skull from the Berry Farmers hardly getting furious until Team Rocket showed up, to even a little girl not being frightened of them, assured her parents would have easily crushed them. The only time a reaction was even remotely different was Hala's, but Ash still believed that was more personal than anything. "Let's see here…

"Yes, here it is. I spoke with some of the locals around Heahea City, and even with some of the people whose Pokémon escorted me here. All of them seemed to laugh at the mention of Team Skull. For the most part they're regarded as jokes, it seems: trainers who failed to complete Island Pilgrimages or otherwise didn't make much of themselves. 'Nothings' a lot call them. I guess the only place they're regarded as some semblance of a threat is near a place called Po Town on Ula'ula Island, but as I've yet to scout the place, I don't have the requisite info or any confirmation. Seems to possibly just be a rumor passed by Team Skull to beef up their status."

"From what I hear," Lillie began to say, drawing some of the attention onto her, "Team Skull might not be very threatening to others, but they can be horribly cruel to wild Pokémon."

"Well, that makes sense," Clemont muttered darkly. "There's a reason the Aether Foundation had such a foot to stand on, taking in the Pokémon that were hurt in the wild."

"They're just as bad as hunters, then," Ash spat. Looker was nodding his head, like he agreed with them, but didn't wish to share information with the party anymore. This was made even more evident by the man slipping his notebook into his jacket's pocket once more. "But I didn't know the Aether Foundation did stuff like that."

"Of course they do!" Clemont proclaimed loudly. Like it was magic, the boy suddenly whipped out a magazine. Had he still been wearing his jumpsuit, Ash would have nodded it off, but as it was, he had no idea where the thing had come from. Regardless, Clemont opened to the page of the magazine he'd shown Ash before, just so he could shove it in his face. "They're the very pinnacle of Pokémon research in Alola! Their branch manager, Faba, is a leading authority on the studies of Pokémon in the wild and their rehabilitation! And their president is as committed to ensuring the welfare of Pokémon, taking in those who have been injured and returning them to health before-"

_Thud!_  Ash ripped his gaze away from the image of the balding blond man in time to see Lillie retrieving her bag from the ground, Nebby staring up at her angrily. "Sorry, slipped from my hands. I guess thinking about how they mistreat wild Pokémon makes me angry."

"It should!" Bonnie said, placing her hands on her hips defiantly. "No one should treat any Pokémon in that mean way. If I see those Team Skull jerks again, Dedenne will master Parabolic Charge and we'll show them we mean business! Isn't that right, Dedenne?" No chatter of the girl's partner Pokémon sounded out. "Dedenne?"

"Uhh, Clemont…where's Chespin?" Serena asked, looking over at the group of Pokémon that had finished eating their snacks. Pikipek was shaking her head at Dartrix's gluttonous appetite, but Ash quickly realized that someone else was missing besides the other two.

"Where's Pikachu?" he voiced out. Realization began to dawn upon them that three of their Pokémon were missing. Ash groaned loudly and slapped his forehead.  _The Pokepuff…_ He hadn't paid any mind to it before. Now that he thought back, though, it was obvious that Pikachu and the others had gone chasing right after it.

"Pancham…were you two fighting again?" Serena asked, her tone stern. Pancham shook his head, prompting Pikipek to fly up to Ash's shoulder.

"Pikpik," Pikipek told him. He didn't quite understand, but he nodded nonetheless, especially once the bird extended her wing out towards the incline.

"So, they're over that way…" Ash said, turning to face in its direction. He couldn't see a single trace of the Pokémon, but if Pikipek said they were in that direction, he trusted her. "Okay, Pikipek, Dartrix, why don't you take to the air and see if you can find them?"

"Koo!" Dartrix called, brushing some sprinkles away from his mouth as he flapped up to join Pikipek, the two shooting off. Ash quickly grabbed the rest of his pokeballs out, calling Greninja and Rockruff back. Serena and Clemont also did the same. Bonnie was already running off after the two fliers, clearly worried about Dedenne. Ash bowed towards Looker.

"Sorry, but we need to find our Pokémon," Ash said with a sheepish expression.

"It's no problem. I'll go with you," the investigator said. "When someone's in need, we should always help! Besides, I have some time before my meeting."

"Thank you," Clemont called out, hitching his bag on his shoulders. Grubbin was attached to it, having escaped the pokeball, but the inventor paid him no mind. Adjusting his own pack, Ash ran off after his two birds, the others following close behind him. Bonnie was a little further ahead as they reached the incline. She almost tripped, but managed to regain her balance as they pounded down the slope. The sound of the surf, as usual, reached Ash's ears and he saw that they appeared to be sloping down towards a small, rocky area that bordered the sea. Thankfully, he could see Pikipek and Dartrix flying overhead, looking carefully through some of the twisting and winding rocks.

"Pikachuuuuuu!" came the sudden cry of his best friend. Ash picked up the pace, his feet almost slipping on the slick grass that led to their destination. That was definitely not the sound of Pikachu simply being lost.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out, his voice echoing around the entire area. His partner's voice called back, mixed in with the somewhat frightened tones of Chespin and Dedenne together. He grit his teeth and finished sliding, his feet now pounding across the rocky surface. Dartrix flew down, like he was prepared to guide the group. Bonnie and Looker were keeping up while Serena helped Lillie gingerly down the hill.

"Hey, stop it ya dumb little mou-yeowch!" snapped a voice. It was followed by a stumbling noise and Ash weaved through one of the rocks and managed to emerge in a wider open space.

"Team Skull!" Ash yelled instantly. It wasn't that hard to notice them in their black clothes, faces covered as a group of three surrounded the Pokémon. In front of them were the typical Team Skull Pokémon: Yungoos and Zubat, along with some Salandit. Chespin was tightly clutching to his Pokepuff while Dedenne was thrown off, having bitten one of the grunt's fingers.

"Huh? Who the heck are you?" asked the same grunt that had shouted earlier. Ash ignored him.

"Pikachu, are you all right?"

"Pikapi!"

"Yo, ya don't ignore Team Skull! Team Skull ignores you!"

"I don't think it'd be a good idea to ignore them, bro!" one of the other Skull thugs said, his eyes wide as he stepped back. "They look real serious, yo."

"Get away from Pikachu and the others," Ash said sternly, his voice leaving no room for discussion. Pikipek fluttered down to his shoulder, her own gaze fierce. Dartrix was no different, landing on a nearby rock stealthily. Serena and the others had finally managed to reach them, causing Dedenne and Chespin to cry out for Bonnie and Clemont respectively. "I won't ask again."

"No way, yo!" the last member of the trio said, moving his hands like he was going to fold his arms, but stopping. "We saw 'em first! Finders, keepers."

"You sound just as dumb as Team Rocket," Bonnie snapped at them. There was a slight trickling of rocks to the side, but Ash watched the Skull grunts recoil, their eyes going wide before they looked at each other. Then they leaned forward in tandem.

"We ain't dumb!" they shouted as one, causing Ash to nearly roll his eyes. Next to him, Serena called out Popplio while Grubbin hopped off Clemont's pack before he could call out anyone else. "Now why don't you kids jus' get movin' along."

"Not a chance," Ash said, clenching his fist. He wasn't sure if these grunts were just stubborn…or simply too stupid to comprehend that they wouldn't be going down without a fight. "Dartrix, use Leafage and then Acrobatics!"

"Darroh!" Dartrix cried, shooting straight out from his spot on the rocks. The Skull guys turned around, once more giving their over-the-top reactions at the impending attack. One of them called for their Salandit to use Ember, but Dartrix was much faster. Throwing the consortium of leaves from his wings, they whipped up a cyclone that battered at the Skull grunts and their Pokémon. Pikachu and the others huddled together, making sure to avoid the edges of the attack. Dartrix vanished in a haze of turquoise, reappearing and slamming the Salandit into one of the rocks before it could strike.

The leaves faded away, allowing Pikachu and the others to finally run forward. "Pikapi!"

"I'm glad you're all right, Pikachu," Ash said as his friend hopped onto his shoulders. He faced forward while Dartrix pulled back, the Skull grunts woozy, but getting up. One of them recovered quickly enough and he slammed his foot forward angrily.

"Yo! That was totally uncalled for! Who do you think you are, attackin' us out of the blue like that?" he shouted. His Yungoos hissed angrily in front of him. Serena and Clemont both moved forward, their Pokémon defensive. Even Chespin put himself into a defensive position while Bonnie grabbed a leaping Dedenne. Ash noticed that Rotom was hanging about, well outside of the line of fire.

"You attacked our Pokémon first," Serena challenged. The Skull thugs once more looked at each other before nodding.

"That don't matter, yo! You gotta pay the consequences!"

"Shut up." It was a cold voice that had replied, one that was familiar. Next to him, Clemont stiffened, as though the very sound of it brought back horrible memories. Ash swallowed, wondering where the cold voice was coming from until he looked up in time to see a woman descending, her Crobat holding onto her. As she landed in the exact spot that Pikachu and the others had been, she threw a pokeball, calling forth a black and pink Pokémon, the creature hissing.

"Ah…a Salazzle," Rotom squeaked out from behind Ash. "It's the evolved form of Salandit…For some reason, only females have been found. It creates a reverse harem of male Salandit that it lives with."

"Interesting info, talking robot, but nothing I care about," the woman spoke. Ash finally remembered where he had seen her before, just as Bonnie came close to Clemont, gripping at her brother fearfully, but with her usual spark of defiance. "You three…what did I say?"

"We're sorry, Big Sis!" one of the Skull grunts said. "But we saw a prime opportunity to-"

"Oh, you adorable idiots," Plumeria chuckled out. She reached over to one of them and rapped them on the head. "I love you, but if you had just listened to orders we wouldn't be in this situation right now."

"But Big Sis!" Plumeria glared at them, folding her arms under her bust. "S-sorry…"

"Look, I appreciate the effort, but the goal was going after  _wild_  Pokémon," Plumeria scolded them. It was an odd scene to Ash, but one that made him no less tense in the middle of it all. She really was like a big sister, the way she disciplining the boys. "The second you get trainers involved everything becomes way too messy. You all know how much I hate complications."

"We're sorry, Big Sis!" they all cried out, shedding tears at what Ash could only suppose was her mercy. Plumeria sighed loudly and turned around, now directing her gaze at them. For a very brief second, she looked elsewhere, towards some of the rocks, but it was just a second.

"I really hate it when this happens," she finally spoke. "I don't like getting involved with this kind of crap, especially with trainers I've actually seen before."

"You've met this woman?" Looker questioned, as if he was asking on mere instinct. Clemont was the one to answer, nodding slowly.

"She's Plumeria, a member of Team Skull. We met her when they…"

"When my boss was stupid enough to invade Iki Town, but whatever," Plumeria said, cutting across Clemont without a care in the world. "Normally, I don't give a crap when he does stupid things, but that one…he never wants to listen."

"Why are you here?" Ash asked, his voice coming back to him. Pikachu's cheeks sparked angrily, as though he sensed the danger that the woman exuded. Plumeria regarded him with disinterest, raising an eyebrow for a single second before lowering it. Her arms unfolded and she cocked her hips to the side, a bored expression on her lips. Her eyes traveled over to Looker, briefly, with Lillie obscured behind the officer, before snapping back to Ash and the others.

"I'm here because the boys and I were going on an expedition today; vacation time with the Big Sis, as it were," Plumeria said with an equally bored tone. "Then  _you_  got involved. Normally, I'd walk away, but judging from their states, I'd say you hurt my boys."

"They were after Pikachu," Ash snapped. Clemont was shaking a little next to him, and Ash could see him forming a fist. Plumeria smirked.

"And? Take better care of your Pokémon then, kid." Ash could feel it all break, the tense string suddenly snapping. "Flamethrower."

"Sasssa!" Salazzle hissed, opening her mouth wide. From it gushed a torrent of flame.

"Popplio, use Bubblebeam!" Serena shouted, throwing her hand forward. Popplio bounced a little and sent the assortment of powerful bubbles slamming upon the Flamethrower. Steam gushed through the area, obscuring everything from view.

"Pikipek, use Echoed Voice," Ash called. Pikipek flapped up from his shoulder and opened her mouth. The soundwaves were forced outward. Some cries from within the cloud indicated that the Skull members had been hit, though no noise from either Plumeria or Salazzle made Ash wary. He looked to Clemont, who was shaking his head, getting himself back in the game.

"Air Cutter, Crobat," Plumeria said. Her voice was dull, like she was just as uninterested in this battle as she was with their conversation.

"Chespin, Pin Missile!" Clemont finally shouted. Chespin's spines glowed white and he fired off the green streaking projectiles. The white blades impacted with Chespin's attack as the steam cleared. Plumeria was no longer standing alone, her three "brothers" standing side by side with their Pokémon in front of them.

"Mr. Looker, look after Lillie and Bonnie, please," Ash said. Bonnie looked to want to protest, but she shut her mouth after an insistent look from Clemont. The investigator nodded, having just noted something in his book. He stepped back, taking hold of Bonnie and Lillie to pull them away from the battle. Plumeria raised an eyebrow, now looking very interested, though it soon sharpened into a glare.

"Coordinated attacks, boys. You can't beat these trainers if you just do whatever you want. Engaging them one-on-one would be foolish," the woman pointed out. Ash cracked his knuckles. Plumeria finally smirked. "Smog."

"Lazzah…" Salazzle once more hissed. Instead of the red flames from earlier, the area was now covered in a thick purple stream of gas. Pikachu dropped down, unable to defend himself from the poisonous gas. Meanwhile, Grubbin managed to remain unaffected while Popplio surrounded herself with a balloon.

"Dartrix, use Leafage to clear it all away!"

"Combined Air Cutter, now!" Plumeria commanded of her men. As Dartrix flapped his wings to produce his Leafage, the various Zubat and Plumeria's Crobat struck, sending their white blades through the purple gas. Dartrix shuddered a little, the poison from the smog clearly affecting him as well. That slight delay was enough for the attack to sail through and slam into him. Leafage completely missed its mark.

"Grubbin, use Spark!"

"Popplio, Disarming Voice!" His friends' shouts were succeeded by the attacks they had commanded. Grubbin charged right into thick smog, and clearly managed to make contact with something…though, the problem was more that the smog simply wasn't disappearing.

"Flamethrower," Plumeria called. Ash's fist clenched and his eyes widened.

"Pikachu, you need to use Counter Shield!" Ash called out. Pikachu struggled to get to his feet, but the poison was already taking its toll. The Flamethrower was launched. First there was one explosion, and then another, like a chain that extended all the way over to them. Ash felt himself thrown back, Pikachu blowing into his arms as his back grated roughly against the rocky surface. He sat up. Dartrix was suffering, Pikachu was in no state to effectively battle against the coordinated assault…He was left with  _that_  option though. "Pikipek, use Drill Peck as fast as you can in multiple directions!"

"Pikee!" Pikipek cried out. Her beak elongated and she began to spin, diving into the smog. As hoped, the trail of wind from behind her blew out some of the smog. She changed direction, blasting in from another angle. More of the smog cleared away.

"Dragon Pulse," Plumeria called. She didn't sound as indifferent anymore. Clearly covering up their assault was a part of her strategy. Pikipek changed direction once more, but Salazzle was faster; way too fast, to the point that Pikipek might as well have had a lead weight hanging from her. The draconic beam soared out, slamming powerfully into Pikipek. She spiraled.

"Pikipek!" Ash called out fearfully, unable to see her as she vanished into the remnants of the purple gas. Grubbin, still in the midst of the purple cloud, called out to Clemont.

"Catch her with String Shot!" he called. Ash still couldn't see what was going on, and he hated himself for it. Plumeria was a much stronger trainer than he realized, especially for being a member of the supposedly "loser" Team Skull. In seconds, she had pointed out grave weaknesses of his, and done it with surprising grace. He only hoped Pikipek hadn't suffered for that indiscretion.

"Pik…" Pikipek appeared to call softly. Ash raised his head, still holding Pikachu. "Piki…"

"Pikipek, are you all right?" Ash asked. He pushed at the ground, standing and walking forward towards where the shapes of Plumeria and the Skull grunts were.

"Piki…pikipeeeeeeeeek!" Ash halted his movements at her cry. More than that, he stopped at the bright blue light now shining from where she had fallen. Plumeria's body turned, the moment of distraction allowing for Clemont to call out another String Shot. Instead of aiming for his Pokémon, Clemont's partner managed to suddenly tie the Skull grunts and their own Pokémon together. Plumeria was too distracted to realize she was now alone. It was still hard to tell through the remaining smog what was happening to Pikipek, but Ash could at least see that she had grown larger, and with one final cry, burst out with her wings, blowing the smog away. "Kera!"

"Pikipek…you evolved…" Ash breathed out, smiling as the evolved form of his Pokémon flew up into the air. She was slightly slower than before, owing to her larger shape, but Ash could tell she looked so much stronger and motherly than before. She was going to protect her flock. "Use Echoed Voice!"

"Keraaaaaaaa!" she cried out. Plumeria's eyes appeared to widen as the soundwaves slammed into Salazzle and herself. She and her Pokémon held their ground, though Ash could tell that when compared to before, it wasn't as easy to resist.

"Trumbeak's Echoed Voice is much more powerful than Pikipek's," Rotom commented. Ash didn't need to hear that to know how much more powerful she had become, but having a name for her was much appreciated. "Well, Trumbeak  _are_  known for creating very loud noises. Rotom wouldn't be surprised if her voice would grow even more powerful."

"Well, that's unexpected," Plumeria said, staring up at Trumbeak with a mixture of disdain and apathy. "Sala-"

Her words appeared to die completely as the rest of the smog finally faded away. Whatever command she had been about to give was never even uttered. She closed her mouth, swallowing. Ash narrowed his eyes, wondering why she would suddenly give up the attack when he noticed the shadow hanging by her, its claws extended, almost cackling from within the dark. Salazzle appeared to have felt it, as well, for it shrank down a little. Ash turned away a moment, taking the chance to help both Serena and Clemont up. When he turned back, it became much more obvious what had caused the duo to freeze: a Banette.

"Now, that isn't a very nice way to behave, four on three," said a calming voice, itself almost sounding like it was coming from the shadows. Plumeria turned her head, as did Ash. "I thought I'd even it up a little."

"Did…did you…?" Plumeria asked. She looked to be sweating, her mouth parted in what Ash assumed to be fear. Somehow, Ash was not surprised in the least, especially not at the sight of the man who had arrived at the mouth of the valley of rocks, leaning against them casually. "Well…"

"Lionel?" Ash asked, confirming that he still recognized the man standing there. Lionel didn't acknowledge him outside of a light nod, but Ash was still glad that he knew the man standing before him, his darker skin more evident in the bright Alola sun.

"Are we willing to put this to rest, young lady?" Lionel asked. He was still leaning casually, yet everything about the man suggested that he was ready to head for a very swift finish if Plumeria's actions called for it. This was made all the more evident by the way he was fiddling with the charm bracelet around his wrist.

"Tch," Plumeria scoffed out. She finally took a look at her bound companions and sighed. With one hand, she returned Salazzle before grabbing ahold of her bound comrades. Crobat and the remaining Zubat all flapped down to take ahold of them. "We'll pull out. I've lost interest."

"A wise decision," Lionel said with a wink in Plumeria's direction. She rolled her eyes, and with one last disdainful look towards Ash and the others, flew away from the scene. No one said a word as they all disappeared as suddenly as they seemed to have arrived. Eventually, though, Ash looked back towards Lionel. "Sorry about that, Ash. I'm sure you had it all under control, but I couldn't resist getting involved. I'm meddlesome that way. Jack always said it was a horrible trait of mine."

"That surprises me," Ash said, fully facing the man now. "That always struck me as something my own dad would do."

"Well…guess he rubbed off on me," the older man chuckled. When he stopped, he walked forward. The others all watched him come up to Ash and suddenly embrace him. Ash, himself, was surprised at the rather friendly reunion. Yet he returned the hug nevertheless; it felt, in some way, like a piece of his father was with Lionel. That was a comfort. "I'm glad to see you're doing well, and in Alola, no less!"

"Yeah," Ash said, pulling back from the older man. Lionel was completely unchanged, though his clothes were more casual than they had been before, the man looking a bit more like Clemont in wardrobe than he had in Kalos. "I'm a little surprised to see you here, though."

"Come on, Ash, you're smarter than that," Lionel commented, flicking at Ash's forehead. The boy avoided it. "I  _did_ tell you we were coming here. I'm glad you're not alone, though. It's good to see all of you as well, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie…and Pikachu, of course. And this young lady…er…"

"Lillie," was the girl's response. She wasn't the only one responding.

"Pi…ka…" Pikachu greeted. Ash gave a start, finally remembering the bad state that his Pokémon were in. Thankfully, Clemont was a step ahead of him, even as he responded to Lionel, handing out some Pecha Berries to them all.

"Guess you're all looking for some sort of artifacts in Alola, then?" Clemont asked of the man. Lionel nodded his head, grabbing his pokeball and returning Banette effortlessly. "Have any success?"

"More or less, we think," Lionel stated. "That's not the main reason I'm here, though."

"You're here to meet me, yes?" Looker said. Ash breathed a little easier, seeing that Bonnie and Lillie looked completely unscathed from the battle that had taken place. As Serena looked over both of their other female companions, Looker approached Lionel with a handshake. The new leader of ARC took the gesture and accepted it. "I'm surprised. I thought we weren't meeting until this evening."

"I arrived early," Lionel told him. "We had to change the gathering location. Some of our…"

"Berka!" Ash turned, his grin sprouting as he ignored the remainder of Lionel and Looker's conversation, the two talking about something regarding meeting times. More important to him was Trumbeak now flying at him and practically tackling him, if not for him staying upright.

"Look at you, Trumbeak! You're even bigger now," Ash laughed out. Trumbeak chirped out happily, showing herself as the same Pokémon as always. She reached forward and tapped him lightly on the forehead. Ash just hugged her while Dartrix rejoined them.

"Daroh?"

"Kera!" Trumbeak called, flapping out of Ash's arms to stand next to Dartrix. The Blade Quill Pokémon's eyes widened, but when Trumbeak put her wings around him, he relaxed into it, cooing softly. Heart warmed at the sight, Ash looked to Clemont and Serena.

"Are the both of you all right?"

"Just fine," Serena said, throwing a fist up. To Ash's surprise, the egg was still safely in her arms, though she appeared to be shivering from its cold effect. He frowned at her. "We've been through worse than this."

"Yeah, but we haven't frozen our arms off," Ash pointed out. Pikachu perked up in his arms and looked over to what Ash was pointing out, some of the frost sparkling with little flecks on her arms.

"Oh…I didn't realize, I guess."

"You need to take better care of yourselves," Lillie said, her hands clasped worriedly to her chest. It was obvious she was relieved they were okay, but had still been concerned over the fight. Ash continued to frown; he was concerned about the fight as well. Lionel had said he would have won the battle, but Ash wasn't so sure. Salazzle had been so fast and precise, making Pikipek seem slow in comparison. Plus, there was the fact that Clemont almost seemed to shut down.

"Sorry for worrying you," Clemont apologized. "Maybe we should all head back to the room then. I'm sure we're all hungry after a battle like that."

"Sounds good to me," Ash agreed, trying to stop his stomach from rumbling now that Clemont had suggested it. He turned to the two men, Looker nodding and jotting notes down before displaying them to Lionel. "Do you want to join us?"

"Hmm?" Lionel asked. He regarded Ash curiously for a second, like he hadn't even heard the question. That became obvious when he saw Trumbeak and Dartrix. "Well, look at these two! Yours, Ash?"

"Yup, they're a part of my Alola team. Dartrix and Trumbeak are real strong."

"I can tell," Lionel commented, smiling. Ash breathed lightly, observing the look in the older man's eyes. It was reflective and reminiscent, as though he could see a piece of Ash and a piece of his father inside the Pokémon that he had grown alongside.  _You've become a wonderful Pokémon Master._  His father's final words came to him, and Ash had to wonder if Lionel was thinking of that very thing; if he agreed with the thought, or if he was disappointed. Ash almost wanted to ask, but found himself afraid to do so.  _Why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?_  "As for lunch, I'm afraid we can't stay. Long travel time ahead. You know, busy days and all."

"Oh…I kind of wanted to catch up," Ash admitted, rubbing at the back of his head. "See how the others were doing."

"Ash, I'd love to, but I'm not on my own dime anymore," Lionel said. At his own words, the man pulled out a badge that was emblazoned with the League crest on it. It was impressive looking, and more than answered Ash's question. Lionel stowed the badge away, a thoughtful expression settling on his face. "But you know, ARC will be on Ula'ula Island for a time. If we're around when you arrive in Malie City, maybe we can all catch some dinner."

"I'd like that," Ash stated. Serena, Clemont and Bonnie all agreed to that, while Lillie and Rotom stared at each other, perplexed. Lionel nodded at their next planned encounter and he reached forward to pat Ash on the shoulder.

"Until then. I hope to hear about how successful your trials have gone by then," he said. Ash gave no words as he retracted his hand and faced Looker. "Well, officer, I think this encounter will give us much to discuss about Team Skull, yes? Shall we get going?"

"Yes," Looker agreed. Lionel took out another pokeball, calling forth his Skarmory. "It was nice to see you again, Ash, and the rest of you, of course. I'm sorry I couldn't have been of more help…"

"Nah, that's all right," Ash said, throwing his hands behind his head. "If it wasn't for that fight, Pikipek wouldn't have evolved." Trumbeak called out her affirmative, folding her wings at her side. Looker nodded at Ash with a smile before reaching forward to shake all of their hands in turn. Once he finished, he boarded the sturdy Skarmory. With a slight wink of greeting, Lionel's Skarmory shot up to the air and off towards what Ash presumed was another area of Akala Island.

"Time for food!" Bonnie declared, clutching Dedenne tightly to her. With her definitive proclamation, she began marching back towards the hill to the hotel. Serena was right behind her, shaking her head with amusement. Ash waited for the others to pass, his two birds now surrounding him proudly. With a brief pat to their heads, he began trudging after them.

As he placed his foot on the hill, however, he finally heard Lionel's words.  _I hope to hear about how successful your trials have gone._  He had known; known about Ash's adventures in Alola. The thought was unsettling, though somehow made sense, given ARC's connection with the League and Diantha. More than that though, he finally remembered why ARC had come to Alola: they were there to hunt Zygarde. To find Squishy. A sudden chill ran down his neck and he turned to see a flash of green, like eyes staring back at him. It was disconcerting.

Pausing for a moment to slow his breath, however, Ash slapped his cheeks. It was no time to be thinking about that. He could ask Lionel all the questions he wanted to when he arrived in Ula'ula. Until then, his trial was his utmost priority, and with that, he ran back up the hill with his usual enthusiasm.

* * *

James leaned back against a rock, feeling his breath evening out. Next to him were a shivering Meowth and Jessie. They had gotten so close to getting caught, that woman from Team Skull having looked right in their direction. It wasn't like them to be so scared, yet the way she had seemingly manhandled the twerp was most certainly something to be feared. Making sure the twerps had finally retreated back towards the hotel, all of them sighed, including Wobbuffet, who had slid to the end of the rock without noticing.

"Dis…" Meowth finally breathed out, like he couldn't find the words. "Dis information is huge!"

"We've finally found what we came to Alola for," James agreed. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that following the twerp would actually lead them to finding out more about Team Skull and ARC, the latter in particular. In hindsight, it made sense, but James was still floored by the fact that they had been here.  _Here_. Just a few feet away. They could have taken the new leader of ARC hostage if they had just acted a little sooner.

"I told you my hunch about getting back on the trail of the twerps would lead to some juicy information!" Jessie proclaimed, standing high as a wave crashed against the shore. "Now that we've found what we're looking for, let's call the boss!"

"No, don't!" Meowth and James cried at the same time, leaping for their manic female companion. The small device that Jessie was going to use to contact Giovanni tumbled from her hands and crashed on the rocks below, breaking to pieces.

"What gives, you lunkheads?" Jessie snapped, kicking at the both of them, but finding herself thrown off balance. "We need to tell the boss about-"

"And what happens then, Jessie?" James asked pointedly. Jessie just looked at him angrily as she massaged her rear end. "He'll ask why we didn't take them out and we won't have a good answer. I don't think that being scared or that the twerps are here will cut it."

"Grrrr…" Jessie growled out. She seemed tense, ready to lash out a single moment's notice. However, after some time passed, she relaxed and shrugged. "All right, fine, you have a point. But what do you suggest we do  _now_?"

"Hmmm…" James mused out, thinking. Meowth appeared bored with the proceedings, proceeding to lay back against the rock again. Sifting through the information in his mind, James realized all of the things that seemed to be interconnecting: Team Skull, the Lunchbox Guy and even their own target, ARC. All of them had converged in the same place. "I wonder if something is going on in Alola…perhaps that's why the boss sent us here."

"You mean like one a dem tipping points?" Meowth asked, sitting up now. James wasn't sure what to answer. It was a farfetched theory at complete best, hardly worth substantiating.

"Oh, tipping points, shipping points," Jessie snapped, folding her arms as she did so. James suddenly realized that in those folded arms was her Stufful, pawing at her playfully. "They all mean the same thing. Point is, how do we finish our mission without contacting the boss."

"Dere not da same ting, though…" Meowth stated. Both Jessie and James ignored him. James now folded his own arms to think of the solution. It came to him all too quickly with a sigh.

"Well, I think we'll have to abandon the twerp and our plans for catching Pikachu…for now, at least." He now stood, pointing out towards the ocean victoriously. "We'll follow ARC no matter where it leads!"

"Ha ha, and if we get that information about their organization, the boss will be pleased!" Jessie concurred, joining him in his dramatic posing. Meowth was finally the last to do so, a grin on his face.

"And den we'll put on da squeeze!"

"Wobba wobb!"

And just like that, Team Rocket set up their balloon as usual and blasted off in the direction that the Skarmory carrying their quarry had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This was a transitional chapter, and yet not. Things are certainly moving apace in Alola, now, aren't they? I mean, this was really carrying the road to Lush Jungle but with so much other stuff thrown in like Dartrix learning Acrobatics, Pikipek evolving, Plumeria appearing once again and the reappearance of Looker and…Lionel?! Yes, that's right, Lionel and ARC are back, as I'm sure you guessed they would be. What this spells for the story ahead is anyone's guess but TRio is on the trail! In either case, this chapter has grave implications for the story to come.
> 
> Now, a quick note on the Pokémon so far. You may notice that for a lot of them, they aren't saying their names. In some way, this is deliberate. I'm doing a hybrid between the English name and Japanese name. If they're too different to come up with a sound that works for both, I'll go with the English name (like Pikipek) but if I can you'll get something like the sound for Trumbeak (from Trumbeak and Kerappa). Hope that makes sense.
> 
> The next trial is up next chapter and I hope you'll all stick around through it. Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	20. A Jungle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps the greatest joy I take as an author is the ability to accidentally make all my readers think something that I know isn't true and then show them that and it somehow surprises them when I didn't even mean to. Guess that's a good thing, huh? An even better thing is Chapter 20!

Chapter 20

A Jungle

"Is everyone ready?"

"Pikapika!" Pikachu cheered, leading all of Ash's Pokémon in a cry for their victory. The sun was just beginning to shine over the ocean, illuminating the day they'd be traveling to Lush Jungle for the next trial. All of his Pokémon seemed excited, ready to take on the next challenge before them. Behind Ash, the door opened and soft footsteps sounded on the wooden deck.

"You're all ready to go, then?" called Lillie's voice. Ash was honestly surprised that it was her instead of Serena, but felt no less glad to have the support of another friend in his next endeavor. After a day of training, it was definitely just what he needed. "Serena and the others are almost ready to go, but…I don't know. I just wanted to see how you were."

"I'm doing great," Ash insisted, stretching his arms as Lillie smiled at him. "Nebby looks pretty excited, too."

"Pewpew!" chimed in the little cloud happily. Lillie finally looked down and realized that Nebby had escaped the bag, basking in the golden rays now coming over the hill. The blonde girl gave a cry of shock.

"Nebby…" she said sternly. Nebby turned slowly, peering up at his caretaker with an innocent expression. "Get in the bag."

"Pew."

"Nebby!" Ash laughed, not at Lillie's misfortune, but simply the entire situation; like a mother trying to make her child eat his peas. Ash eventually walked up to Lillie after a moment, putting a hand on her shoulder before he leaned down towards Nebby.

"I know you probably don't like the bag, Nebby," he told him. Nebby swayed back and forth, smiling at him curiously. "But Lillie is only looking out for you. You don't want to cause her too much trouble, do you?"

"Pew?" Nebby now stopped his swaying in time for Pikachu to run up to him and pat him kindly. Pikachu appeared to talk to him, as if explaining things in the same way. Eventually, Nebby nodded and jumped up towards Lillie, cuddling against her before slipping into the bag with a final "Pew!"

At this moment, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie and Rotom all emerged, looking rested and ready for travel. Wanting to hit the road as soon as possible, Ash called all of his Pokémon to return, the four of them giving him fierce and determined looks before he did so. Then, wheeling around on his heels, Ash made sure to take Serena's hand (if partially because she was in charge of the map) before jetting off towards the direction of Lush Jungle.

Given that it was still early morning, most Pokémon in the wilds hadn't woken up for the day as of yet, leaving their path devoid of distractions. Even Rotom appeared to be lazy enough to not even taunt Bonnie, the two of them having clearly declared a ceasefire with one another…for now, at least. Ash and Lillie, funnily enough, seemed to be the most enthusiastic about reaching Lush Jungle, if the yawns were anything to go by.

"Your third trial?" Lillie spoke as the leaves of the jungle were very visible in the near distance. Ash estimated that it wouldn't take them much time at all, especially as he could see a small path coming from another direction that would join up with theirs on the final approach. Someone appeared to be walking, or running, down the path, but Ash focused on Lillie's excitement. "I wonder what it's like to take part in a trial…"

"You've never thought about doing them?" Ash asked. The girl shook her head, her braids flying about.

"I'm not exactly a Pokémon trainer, so…It would be rather difficult," she noted, looking slightly embarrassed by the confession of it. Ash grinned at her, once more placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, nothing wrong with that," he said. "We all start off differently."

"It's true. I didn't become a Pokémon trainer until a year or so ago." Serena's confession appeared to have surprised Lillie. "I probably never would have if I didn't see Ash on the television. Sort of like you, now that I think about it. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"You just seem so mature!" Lillie said in surprise, earning an almost humorless laugh from Serena. It wasn't hard to notice why. They'd all grown up very fast in a short amount of time. Ash breathed in, hoping for it to restore clarity to his brain, reminding him of the normalcy that going on this adventure with his friends had restored. Though, perhaps, it restored a little  _too_  much clarity.

"Hey…that's…" Ash questioned, squinting towards the figure that was approaching the entrance to Lush Jungle from the other path. Ash slightly swiveled his vision to note the signs that were near the gap in trees to the jungle, indicating the entrance to the trial. As he did so, Clemont peered through his own glasses.

"It looks like Hau," he noted. Bonnie appeared to snap out of her lethargy from this one comment, looking around rapidly until she saw the figure charging down the path. The closer he got, the more Ash could definitively identify the figure as Hau, charging headlong towards Lush Jungle. Before he could hit that, however, he was also coming to the intersection that they were now standing at.

"Lillie, this is your chance," Bonnie whispered to the blonde, though it was hardly inaudible. Serena and Clemont quickly tag-teamed the incorrigible little girl, pulling her back before she could say anything more. Not that it stopped her. "Leap into his arms as he-mmph!"

"Hey, Hau!" Ash yelled down the path, saving Lillie from any embarrassment she could possibly be feeling. Now that they were close enough, Ash could see the boy was running so fast that there was a dust cloud billowing out behind him. His hair was tied up loosely and Pipi was clinging to him with all the energy she could muster.

"No time to talk, Ash! Got a trial to complete!" the boy yelled, even forgoing his customary greeting. He was so in the zone of getting to the trial site that he even completely ignored Lillie, who was waving at him sweetly. The dust cloud that had resulted from his running burst up into Ash's nose, causing him to sneeze.

"He's certainly in a hurry…" Serena commented, taking off her straw hat and brushing it slightly.

"Yeah, he is…" Ash noted with a slight chuckle. Then the chuckle died. Realization set in and he snapped a look to share with Pikachu. "No way! That means he'll be doing his trial first!"

"Pikapika!" Pikachu said indignantly, as if telling Ash there was no way they'd let that happen. Ash pumped his fists and kicked his feet off in Hau's direction, his head lowered like a charging Tauros.

"We're not letting  _that_  happen!" Ash cried, leaving his friends behind as he charged mercilessly for Hau. The younger boy threw his head back and seemed to realize that Ash was, in fact, catching up. He grimaced and faced forward, attempting to pick up the pace. Ash wasn't giving him the chance, he and Pikachu pushing forward until they'd drawn even with Hau. This was nothing when compared to the last trial. "What's up, Hau?"

"Nothin' much. Just taking care of my first Akala trial," Hau answered, grinning. Pikachu and Pipi greeted each other, but their trainers didn't stop their dash towards the gate that was the entrance to the trial.

"I already completed one!" Ash told him, swiveling his gaze between Hau and their destination. Hau didn't stop grinning.

"I figured as much," Hau answered. "I've been training real hard, though. Right, Pipi?"

"Kapi!" Pipi agreed, raising her hand.

"Besides, it'll be real easy to hit Brooklet Hill after this and circle back to Wela Volcano," Hau insisted with his grin. Ash just kept his own grin steady and accepted it. "But first, I've gotta beat you here and take care of this trial."

"Oh no, you don't!" Ash cried out. Both boys dug their feet into the ground, racing those last few feet to the entrance. They both reached forward, as if their fingers crossing the threshold would decide who was to go first…only it didn't. Instead, they suddenly slammed into the blue forcefield and fell backwards, tumbling on the ground with loud grunts. "Didn't see that coming…"

"Nope, definitely not…" Hau expressed, groaning. The two boys sat up, heads reeling a little. Then they caught sight of each other sprawled on the ground and started laughing loudly. A roar pierced the air, causing the both of them to look up. Ash shielded his eyes a little more with the brim of his hat in order to watch as a Charizard descended. The tramping sounds of footsteps behind them told Ash that the rest of his friends were all catching up. Sure enough, as the Charizard came to a landing position, Ash found Serena's hand being offered to him and he took it with a thanks.

"You boys okay?" called the chipper voice of Mallow as she leapt off the Charizard. As it turned out, she wasn't alone, Kiawe patting the Charizard kindly. The Flame Pokémon snorted a little and then went to doze off in the shade of a small rock face.

"We're fine," Hau answered. Mallow laughed a little, rubbing the back of her neck apologetically. When she was finished, she grabbed her captain's medallion and held it up to the signpost. Just like at Ilima's trial, the blue aura that surrounded the trial site began to fade away, allowing obvious access to it.

"Sorry I was late, but you all got here faster than I would have thought," Mallow told them. "Kiawe stopped by so I thought I'd catch some breakfast quickly. At least you weren't waiting long."

"It's no problem," Ash assured her, brushing off his shorts. Mallow smiled at that and jerked her head inside, indicating for them to follow. The raven-haired trainer offered a slight, acknowledging nod to Kiawe before pursuing Mallow inside. Hau was at his side, and as the two passed over the threshold, it was genuinely like being submerged into a whole different world.

Everything around them exploded with the sound of Pokémon in the air, and a scent unlike any Ash had ever smelled before assailed his nostrils. It was wild and eclectic, permeating the entire area around him. Something moved in the distance and a thick patch of grass rustled. The air around him felt heavy, almost like it was pressing down on him with dew. Yet at the same time, it was all so invigorating.

"Ash! Hau! Welcome to the Trial of Mallow!" the green-haired girl greeted them with a shout into the air. The denseness of the jungle around them prevented the sound from traveling far, but the way Mallow spread her arms seemed to indicate just how truly vast the entire area was. Looking upwards, Ash could see an outcropping of rock that looked almost like a balcony from which one could observe the entire jungle.

"That's great, Mallow, but…" Ash voiced, folding his arms. He and Hau looked at each other, both realizing the predicament they had somehow found themselves in. "…who takes the trial first?"

"What do you mean?" Mallow questioned, tapping her chin with a bemused smile. Ash blinked; surely she realized they were both here for the trial and could only complete it one at a time. Hau decided to take things into his own hands.

"Well, we both got here at the same time," Hau explained to her. "So, how do we decide who goes first? I mean, the loser would have to wait a whole day…"

"There's no reason to wait," Mallow said, her grin growing wider. She raised her hand and waved it across her face, as if all of this was simply a complete non-issue in the grand scheme of things. "You can both take the trial at the same time!"

"But what about the Totem Pokémon?" Ash asked. Hau seemed to have no such qualms about things.

"Sounds good to me!" Ash raised an eyebrow towards Hau, but chose to just go with the flow and shrug his arms, not making a big deal out of it. Mallow seemed to like Hau's approach to the whole thing, because she never stopped grinning, instead putting her hands on her hips and grinning proudly.

"The Totem won't be a problem. This way, the trial will be more fun, and I get to see the both of you compete for your Grassium-Z," the captain told them both confidently. Ash chuckled a little under his breath and unfolded his arms, bringing them to his side while he looked at Pikachu.

"I guess that could be pretty fun, huh?" he asked of his long-time partner. Pikachu raised his paw and agreed cheerfully. Ash turned back to Mallow. "All right, let's do it."

"Yes!" Mallow cheered. Behind him, Ash caught the sight of Kiawe shaking his head in the periphery. However, Mallow completely ignored her friend in order to get the process of the trial up and running once again. "All right, so, since you're both doing it at the same time, why don't you choose your partners?"

"This one, too?" Ash asked without thinking. Hau glanced at him curiously, but didn't say a thing, tilting his head in serious contemplation of who he would pick for his own partner. Ash had his own decisions to make as well. He hadn't expected yet a second trial to be completed with another friend by his side, not that he minded in the slightest. "What do you think, Pikachu?"

"Pichu…" Pikachu said, folding his own arms as he tried to consider their decision. From the way his face was screwed up, Ash had the distinct feeling that his best friend wasn't coming up with any answers. Luckily, they didn't have to.

"I'll do it!" Bonnie cheered out, raising her hand high.

"You will?" Serena voiced. Ash spun around to face all of his friends, registering the looks of shock on their faces in his mind. Bonnie was the only one with a giddy smile as she skipped forward to grab Ash's hand. Clemont appeared concerned, though the raven-haired trainer knew it was more for his sister's safety rather than anything else. Ash was more concerned with Serena, and whether or not  _she_  had wanted to partner up with him. After a moment of staring in shock, however, she graced her face with that beautiful smile again.

"I think it's a good idea, Clemont," she sounded out, shifting the egg on her chest. She had it wrapped in a towel today, no doubt to fight off the frostbite that nearly occurred yesterday if it wasn't for Braixen. "Bonnie's been working really hard with Dedenne to master Parabolic Charge. Maybe, some alone time in an unsupervised situation will be just what the two of them need."

"I guess you're right," Clemont said, looking reassured at Serena's words. Ash had to feel happy at the older brother's response. Seeing his girlfriend calm even the worried inventor gave further proof of what an inspirational individual she could be. Clemont stepped forward to kneel a little and place his hands on Bonnie's shoulders. "But still, you need to be careful out there with Dedenne. It might be a trial site, but I'm sure that Lush Jungle is full of lots of dangerous Pokémon. Promise me you'll stick close to Ash as much as possible and do your best."

"I'll be fine, Clemont," Bonnie dismissed. Dedenne scampered up on top of her hat to glare down at the inventor. "I've been through worse things than a trial before."

"But…"

"Don't worry about it, Clemont. I'll take good care of Bonnie, and we'll come back victorious," Ash assured his friend. Even Pikachu gave his own assurance for good measure. Clemont seemed to consider that as good enough, for he stood and nodded. Rotom swayed back and forth.

"With Bonnie in Ash's team, Rotom considers their chances of success at fifteen percent…mostly to account for Bonnie," Rotom said smugly, the hint of a smirk on the Pokédex's screen. Bonnie glared at the device, looking like she wanted to chuck Dedenne at it, but halting herself.

"Yeah? Well, I'll bust your numbers wide open!" Bonnie shouted at the Pokémon. Rotom didn't stop his teasing and swaying movements, even as the lemon blonde put her hands on her hips. "I  _will_  see Ash to victory in this trial!"

"That's the way, Bonnie!" Ash said, bending down so that he and the girl could share a double high five. Confident in his volunteer, Ash faced Mallow yet again. "I choose Bonnie as my partner for the trial."

"Then I'll choose Lillie, to keep things even," Hau insisted. Lillie's bag thudded on the ground suddenly and the girl scrambled to pick it back up while Hau grinned at her. "Makes sense, right. We get along well, and both you and Bonnie aren't trainers, so it evens things up between us for who can get the trial done first."

"Yeah, but Hau…I…" Lillie said, pausing in mid-speech. She turned over to look at Serena and then Ash. He wasn't sure if she was asking for some kind of permission or maybe just using their gazes to draw from the well of courage inside her. She breathed in and then smiled beautifully at Hau. "Okay. We'll work together to complete the trial."

"Aw, yes!" Hau said, jumping up and down as he pumped his fists. Their teams apparently set, both trainers and partners turned to face Mallow. The green-haired girl waited a moment, like she was pausing for dramatic effect. Her eyes were closed and when she opened them, her hands were on the move. They shot out, suddenly placing what looked like rolls of parchment with a list of three ingredients on them to the two trial-goers.

Ash quickly took his out of sight from any speck of Hau or Lillie's vision, all while his rival did the same. Right from the beginning, they weren't taking any chances. Ash once more bent down to share the list with Bonnie. It did indeed look to be a recipe list. Only, they weren't any ingredients Ash would include in a meal (if he knew how to actually cook properly). Bitter tastes like the Revival Herb combined with the sweetness of a Mago Berry and the spicy Tamato Berry were not very appealing things. Bonnie appeared to think so as well, because her face was screwed up in confusion.

"So…what do we do with it?" Hau was the first to ask after he and Lillie had perused their list. Mallow walked a little closer to the both of them, hands behind her back as she chose to answer the tanned boy's inquiry.

"The ingredients you see on your list are the things you need to gather," Mallow said sternly, and Ash could tell she had entered into her full captain mode. "You gather your three items and then you bring them back here to create a delicious dish from that recipe."

"And how long do we have?" Lillie chose to ask. Mallow's smile grew wider.

"That's what makes the trial of Mallow so exciting!" she proclaimed, running back and hopping onto a little rock that was nearby. "You have the whole day until the sun sets. Once it has, you fail the trial. But if you make it back before then, you succeed with flying colors!"

"Sounds like a plan to me. Why don't we head right, Bonnie?" Ash said, pointing into what looked like a dense collection of trees on their right side. Bonnie clenched her fists as a way of answering, ready to dive into the brush.

"Then it looks like we're going left."

"Good luck, you two," Serena said. Ash looked to her and winked a little, causing her to laugh. She then decided to kiss on the air as a way of showing she was supporting him. Once more, Kiawe blushed with mortification.

"Let's hurry it up Ash!" Bonnie said, gripping tightly to his hand and dragging him off in the direction he'd indicated seconds before. "We have to beat Hau and show that bucket of bolts who the real winner is."

"All right, all right! We'll be back!" Ash called, throwing his fist in the air as the sign of his impending victory, before his remaining two friends completely vanished from view in the thick jungle.

When they entered, almost all sounds except for those of the jungle were cut off practically instantly. No movement. No voices. Just a cry or two from up in the trees. There wasn't even a speck of wind, and though he hadn't noticed it before, Ash realized that he was sweating quite profusely in the humidity that permeated the jungle. Bonnie was doing the same, evidenced by her taking her floppy hat off and shaking it.

"So…how do we find this stuff?" she asked, taking the list and looking it over again. Instead of allowing them to simply stay still, Ash pushed forward, keeping some of the large leaves on the trees from smacking them all in the face as they walked. A slight skittering was heard to the side, but Ash ignored it. Unlike the last two trials, this one didn't yet require them to battle Pokémon (which he was admittedly disappointed about, but sloughed it off).

"Do you have any ideas?" Ash asked. Bonnie, for all the times she was rotating the paper while looking at it, shook her head. Ash sighed as a result; he hadn't expected her to have the answer anyway, but he wished that  _he_  did. "If I still had Noivern with me, he could probably find it."

"How about using Greninja?" Bonnie now suggested, placing her own hands behind her head as she walked.

"Dene?" Dedenne questioned his caretaker, but she didn't provide an answer, choosing to look up at Ash with the question still on her mind. He shook his head, though, even if he liked the concept of the idea.

"Greninja is great at sensing living things," Ash explained, recalling how it felt to synchronize with the Ninja Pokémon. Every time they had, sensing things like danger or where Pokémon and humans were was an easy task. But things like berries and herbs was far too out of his comfort range. "Everything else, not as much. Pikachu, can you sniff anything out?"

"Pika," Pikachu said, jumping down to the springy floor of Lush Jungle to sniff at the air. However, the dampness of the area appeared to be interfering with that mediocre sense of smell and he shook his head.

"Well, this sucks…we'll have to search every inch of this place! No wonder Mallow gave us all day!" Bonnie pouted. She stopped in her tracks a moment, looking down at her feet. Ash stopped as well, gazing at the girl in concern. "Squishy could find it all, no problem…"

"Bonnie…" Ash said. It had been a very long time since she'd actually spoken aloud about Squishy in a sad fashion. The little girl choked back tears and Ash kneeled, taking her into an embrace. He could understand the pain she felt of losing someone, and was grateful that they could share that burden. It felt less lonely that way. "I know that wherever Squishy is, he's thinking of you."

"You sure?" Bonnie hiccupped out. Ash pulled back and realized she was doing a very admirable job of keeping her tears in check. For a brief second, as she did so, Ash's hairs stood on end, the familiar feeling of being watched pervading his mind. Bonnie stiffened, too, but just as soon as the feeling had come, it was gone. For some reason, it made Ash smile.

"I know it," he told her. "And if Squishy is watching you and thinking of you, let's make sure we have lots of great stories to tell him when we see him again."

"O…Okay!" Bonnie insisted, pulling her fists tight to her chest. Dedenne nodded furiously, joining Pikachu on the ground and communicating with their electricity. Ash found both sights heartwarming to see. It was often easy for him to forget that Bonnie was just a little girl; she always acted so grown up, and had been through so much. Her time in DARC's captivity appeared to have affected her, as well, even if the current journey through Alola had helped her to hide it. He only knew because one night in Pallet, he'd heard her screaming for someone to stop, asking for no more, only for Serena to calm her down. Seeing her now, pushing through it and endeavoring to become stronger was all he could ask for.

"Then let's find those ingredients and beat Hau in no time!" Ash proclaimed, pointing down the path forward. Bonnie nodded as the Pokémon cried with them before she once more unfurled the parchment.

"Guess we should start with the Revival Herb. It'll be harder to spot," Bonnie pointed out. She also reached into her bag and pulled out a pen. "I'll make a map so we don't get lost."

"Great idea, Bonnie. That way, I can keep an eye out for Pokémon so we don't get hurt." Ash paused in his thought processes, but not in their movement forward. Bonnie was busy sketching out the path they'd already taken while his mind whirred with a possibility for helping them. It was all on Hau, and sensing…or maybe smelling. Hau had a Munchlax, one that would no doubt help him to find food in the same way that May's used to. However, that didn't mean he had no options. After all, he had a Pokémon that was as gluttonous for berries as they came, and a dog that no doubt had a great sense of smell. He grinned and decided to start with the latter. "Rockruff, I choose you!"

"Ruff!" Rockruff barked out cheerfully, wagging her tail a little in joy at seeing him. Bonnie finished her part of the map and walked over to pet Rockruff happily.

"Rockruff, we need to find a Revival Herb. Do you know what those smell like?" Ash asked, placing his hands on his knees. Rockruff barked instantly, a cheerful and yearning expression in her eyes. Ash wanted to pump his fist in victory, but refrained from it. "Great, can you sniff it out then?"

"Rock…" Rockruff said contemplatively. She faced forward, padding past Pikachu and Dedenne as she sniffed at the air. Unlike Pikachu, who appeared to have a hard time discerning plants from one another as they mixed in with the humidity, Rockruff looked to be a sleuth. Perhaps she wasn't up to the level of a Slurpuff or Stoutland, but she certainly seemed to be finding a trail of…something. "Ruff! Rrruf! Rockruff!"

"I think we've got the trail, Bonnie. Get ready to run," he said to the girl. She grinned with determination, jamming her hat back on her head. Rockruff ran forward, her little legs stampeding across the springy jungle floor. Ash made sure to get behind Bonnie so he wouldn't leave her behind as they, Pikachu, and Dedenne chased after Rockruff through the jungle.

The sounds of Pokémon increased as they ran forward, flinging aside leaves that nearly ran into their faces. Water droplets flew off of them in all directions, but neither Ash nor Bonnie stopped. The little girl was sketching like she was mad, and though the lines were all over the place and squiggly, especially when they turned and the foliage became just a little lighter, Ash felt that the both of them could still interpret it perfectly; not like it was a real map, after all. Ash's eyes flitted back and forth, sensing Pokémon all around them, watching them as they progressed into the jungle. Thankfully, Ash didn't yet feel surrounded, especially with the twisting and turning path they were taking leading to a grove with tall tufts of grass, almost up to Bonnie's head.

"Is this  _all_  Revival Herb?" Bonnie asked, nearly dropping the map on the back of the ingredient list. Ash decided to test her theory by ripping out a small portion and touching it to his lips.

"I don't think so…no taste," Ash pointed out.

"Rockruff!" the Puppy Pokémon yipped out, having dived into the grass. Her call drew their attention and the pair of humans pushed into the grass. Pikachu and Dedenne had vanished inside the swaying landscape, no doubt aiming for Rockruff. While Ash and Bonnie seemed to have a bit harder of a time with the grass tickling them and forcing each other to hold on to the other's hand, they eventually pushed out of it to a small patch of very short grass that Rockruff was prancing around.

"Dedede?" Dedenne questioned of the puppy. She barked at him and he seemed to decide it was okay to nibble on the short grass. That proved to be a quick mistake, because his lips puckered and he fell back, rolling on the ground into Pikachu, who caught him.

"I think we found it," Ash said, reaching down to pluck the Revival Herb from the ground. Bonnie quickly dug into her bag and pulled out a small baggie that they placed the item into. "All right…two berries then."

"How about we do the Mago Berry next?" Bonnie suggested, stowing the baggie in her own bag. "Tamato Berries should be easy to find. I bet they look like Lillie's face right now…"

"You really like teasing her, don't you?" Ash asked, folding his arms as he peered at the mischievous little girl suspiciously. Bonnie's sly grin worked its way on to her face before she answered.

"Well, my favorite couple to tease has gotten all lovey-dovey…a little too much sometimes, so you guys are no fun," Bonnie pouted out. "Clemont always shuts down my attempts to tease him about Korrina, so all that's left are Lillie and Hau, now. You wanna help?"

"Maybe we should just let things be," Ash chuckled out. He  _really_  didn't want to get involved with that. His relationship with Serena was enough to handle in terms of love lives. Bonnie just shrugged at him declining her offer.

"Suit yourself," she said simply. After that, she began looking around, peering about the grove. "So…uh…how do we want to find the Mago Berry?"

"I'm pretty sure I've got the perfect partner for that, right, you guys?" Pikachu and Rockruff raised their paws in agreement. Ash gripped at Dartrix's pokeball and called him out, the preening owl landing on a branch that sagged a little under his weight, given that he was at its tip. "Dartrix, we need to find some Mago Berries in this jungle. I'm sure you know what the tree looks like, right?"

"Roh!" Dartrix said, flicking his hair with his wing. Bonnie giggled next to Ash while the Blade Quill Pokémon puffed his chest out proudly. Once all his posturing was done he flapped into the air, through the dense foliage. Ash could no longer see him, but he had his own plan for that. "Darroh!"

"You found it?" Ash called out, cupping his hands around his mouth to make sure the Pokémon could hear him. Dartrix responded in the affirmative. "Great! Go to the tree and wait for us, Dartrix…don't eat them all."

"Pika pika!" Pikachu seemed to laugh out at the thought of it. Even Dedenne seemed to find it all rather humorous. Only Rockruff seemed lost at the joke, though that may have been because she was backing away from the Revival Herb, the smell likely just as bitter to her as its taste.

"Rockruff, you're up, again," Ash said, looking to the puppy. She wagged her tail and barked a little, clearly happy to be of great use again. Having understood the directions without saying anything, she sniffed at the air, picking up clearly on Dartrix's scent. She barked one more time and bounded off in his direction. Ash grabbed ahold of Bonnie's hand, their Electric types returning to their sides as they crashed through more of the foliage.

"I'm pretty sure we're not following any path now, Ash," the girl commented.

"I'm not sure there was going to be much of a path left to begin with," was his response. Bonnie nodded, like she agreed with that statement. Thankfully, it mattered little, since Rockruff appeared to be traveling in a straight line for wherever Dartrix and the Mago Berry tree was. That was what Bonnie was drawing, too.

"Pimia!" a harsh cry sounded out from the trees nearby, echoing just a little in the space. Ash tensed, gripping Bonnie's hand as Pikachu readied himself for a battle. They hadn't seen many Pokémon in the jungle, despite having consistently heard them throughout, so it came as a surprise that one had gotten so close as to actually have been heard. Ash turned his head, seeing a shadow flit through the jungle, as if trying to keep up with him. Whatever it was, it was fast. Rockruff's cries sounded out, indicating how close they were.

With a final push through the thick leaves, Ash and Bonnie broke out into a small grove of numerous berry trees. Doing a quick circle, Ash could see the various kinds hanging there from Sitrus to Oran, or even an Aspear Berry. Most importantly was the one tree that Dartrix appeared to be sitting on, having taken a couple of the berries to snack on. He looked content and Ash ran towards the tree, raising his hand so that his Pokémon could catch sight of him. Dartrix raised his wing in greeting. "Think you could get some for us without eating them, Dartrix?"

"Dar-"

"Passim!" The sudden chatter cut across Dartrix's confirmation, echoing around the forest as some Pikipek and Fletchling appeared to take to the air from some of the tree's topmost branches. Ash's instincts took over. He grabbed Rockruff, held onto Bonnie and dove to the ground. They rolled over to the center of the grove just as a large berry struck the ground where Ash had been mere moments before. Ash twisted around, making sure they were all okay and looked to where the berry was, surprisingly unbroken, part of the dirt having been dug into from its impact. A shadow flitted out from the trees as something landed, picking up the ball-like berry with a fierce expression.

"What kind of Pokémon is that…?" Ash asked, surprised by the sight of something so unfamiliar. At the very least, he could tell that it was some kind of monkey, its fur black and white with broad muscles. What looked like two green leaves were sticking out from the back of its head as it crouched down, sprouting from a helmet on its head, the protective covering seeming to have been made from a coconut shell of some kind. Most importantly, however, were its orange eyes, staring at Ash, challenging him. Or maybe he was just defending the plants of the forest and they had simply been interlopers into his territory. Either way, the Pokémon wasn't going to let them go.

"Passi! Passimian!" it cried, flexing powerfully before Ash. He scowled a bit, standing while Rockruff leapt forward, growling. From the sounds the Pokémon was making, Ash could only guess that it was called a Passimian, though he knew very little else.  _Where's Rotom when you need it…?_  Ash questioned to himself, but quickly focused. Dartrix was staring down at them, obviously torn between what he needed to do.

"Don't worry about us, Dartrix," Ash called over calmly. "You focus on gathering the berries, okay? Bonnie, you-"

"Passim!" the Passimian chattered out. It appeared to rear back, shadows brimming around it berry before it tossed the thing straight for Ash.

"Use Bite!" Ash called. Rockruff immediately jumped, sinking her teeth into the incoming attack. They collided, causing Rockruff to fall back to the ground while the berry dropped as well. Passimian moved with surprisingly quick speed, grabbing the berry before Rockruff could react again. Then it moved forward, its free hand glowing a bright and brilliant white. "Dodge it!"

"Ruff!" Rockruff called. She leapt backwards and Ash was with her. Bonnie did, too, only she was farther away from the center of the grove than either of them were. A root suddenly got in her path and she fell backwards, slamming into one of the trees. An Aguav Berry suddenly fell from said tree, striking her on the head.

"Pikapika!" Pikachu cried in concern, leaping from Ash's shoulder to run to her and see if she was okay. He was grateful for the assistance, allowing him to put the full focus of his attentions onto the Passimian that already looked ready to make its next move. He narrowed his eyes, staring carefully into the Pokémon's orange ones, like a challenging statement. "Pika!"

Ash turned his head, just for a fraction of a second, and Passimian struck out once again. The shadows surrounded the berry, but it didn't throw it this time, instead using it to give a close-quarters example of Shadow Ball. The attack slammed into Rockruff, forcing her head down. Meanwhile, Ash could only watch as a group of more Pokémon that Ash didn't recognize had fallen between Pikachu and Bonnie, preventing him from getting close. Their clicking sounds were distracting, but at the very least, Bonnie was pulling to her feet with a determined expression.

"Don't worry about me, Ash," Bonnie called out. Dedenne hopped from her grasp to glare at the group of five Pokémon bearing down upon her. "Dedenne and I can handle this. You just focus on that other Pokémon!"

"All right," Ash called, giving the girl a smile and a thumbs up. "Pikachu, just in case, be ready to help as much as you can."

"Pi!" Pikachu confirmed. Ash whipped his head straight back on target, staring down the Passimian. It seemed to return his stare, still in its ever-challenging state. The more Ash locked eyes with it, the more it seemed like he could understand why it had attacked. Or he thought he did, at least. Whatever the case was, this Pokémon wasn't backing down and wasn't letting him leave unless it beat him thoroughly for whatever wrong he may have committed. Whatever that was…

"Simi!" Passimian cried out, its fist glowing white as it dove for Rockruff.

"Rock Polish," Ash called, throwing his hand out. Rockruff's body sparked with blue before she darted to the side. Passimian's fist struck the dirt, sending clods of it into the air. "Keep on the move and don't let it catch you!"

"Ruffruff!" Rockruff barked out, running in circles around Passimian, occasionally changing her direction. The simian followed her movement for a moment before bending low. Like flashes of light, multiple copies of it appeared throughout their side of the grove. Rockruff pulled to a surprised halt for a fraction of a second, but when Passimian raised its arm, its berry covered in shadows once more, she went on the move again. Ash watched, trying to make sense of just why the Pokémon had attacked them. The Passimian finally threw its Shadow Ball fiercely.

"Rock Throw! Intercept it!" Ash cried out. Rockruff didn't stop her running as the stones from her neck shot out to form the large stone that was then flung towards the incoming barrage of Shadow Balls. Only, the Shadow Ball wasn't just aiming for Rockruff. Above in the tree, Dartrix attempted to pick off a berry, only to be thrown off balance by a separate Shadow Ball (from Passimian's mouth) that was soaring through the tree's leaves. Ash's eyes narrowed; was Passimian as protective of the berries as Trumbeak or…?

The two attacks collided, blasting apart and raining small stones everywhere. Rockruff's blue eyes shone through the debris and Ash mouthed his next order, hoping she'd pick up on it. She did, darting and weaving through the various copies that were vanishing. Passimian turned, attempting to find her before she leapt forward and bit into its tail powerfully.

"Pa-a-a-assimian!" it cried, flailing about as Rockruff hung on tightly, not letting go for a second. The lemur didn't look happy as it twisted back and forth, but it allowed Ash a single chance to check on how Bonnie was doing against the other foreign Pokémon. To his surprise, Bonnie and Dedenne were keeping up as Dedenne used Nuzzle on one of them before flying back and letting a Thunder Shock off. That single one fell while Pikachu used Iron Tail to make sure that the others didn't get too far out of range. Dedenne landed nicely.

"Parabolic Charge!" Bonnie ordered. Dedenne stood still, sparking and beginning to store electricity into his little body. Ash could only hope that he would hold out. For the moment, he turned back to his own battle in progress, as Passimian suddenly slammed into Rockruff with its open fist. She slammed into the ground, some of the grass torn up around her. The Passimian paused, as if horrified at what it had done.

"Rock Throw from where you are," Ash commanded quickly, putting one foot in front of the other. From being splayed out, Rockruff's stone shot out into their usual size and then blasted upward, striking Passimian in the jaw. It quickly recovered, however, and once more created numerous clones about the area. Rockruff stood once more, shaking her head while Ash watched the copies for a clue of where the real one might be. That's when he caught sight of something odd: Passimian was over near the dirt clod and grass, patting it back softly and then methodically taking the grass out to look perfectly even. "Aha…so, that's why…"

"Ruff!" Rockruff barked, pulling his attention back. Ash nodded; he finally understood Passimian as a rather compulsive Pokémon who wanted things to be done the right way, covering all its bases in any way possible. He grinned now.

"Use Bite on all the copies that you can, and Rock Throw to hit those farther away!" Ash commanded. Rockruff instantly bounded for the nearest copy, biting into it fiercely before flinging a Rock Throw at another. "I get you now, Passimian. You didn't want Dartrix to take the berries in a way that would disrupt things…"

Passimian, the real one, turned its head to look at him, almost like it was surprised that he understood it. In some way, the monkey reminded him of Hawlucha, only protecting the order of nature rather than just the Pokémon. Ash's other foot now moved forward.

"Dedenne!" Bonnie cried out. Ash rotated his body, able to keep his gaze on both parts of the battle right as Rockruff managed to ram into Passimian with a Bite. Bonnie, on the other hand, was struggling, Dedenne hit by the mantis-like Pokémon that were attacking. The Antenna Pokémon struggled to stand, shaking his head. "Come on, Dedenne! You can do this! I  _know_  you can use Parabolic Charge! So let's do it together!"

"Pikapika!" Pikachu cried, his own cheeks sparking with stored electricity. It was like an example for the Pokémon that served as his younger brother. Dedenne caught sight of it and nodded, once more drawing all of the electricity around his body. The mantis Pokémon moved in, each of them leaping for Dedenne.

"De…denenene!" Dedenne called, finally bringing the electricity together, coalescing it into an orb that shot straight into the air. Passimian was on the move again, its fist glowing white as it made a move for Rockruff once more, hoping to clearly end the fight. Then the orb burst. Electricity blasted across the area, hitting all of the enemies. Even Ash had to duck to avoid the powerful blast of Dedenne's newly mastered move. The Pokémon attacking Bonnie were all fried, and the attack even slammed into Passimian, halting its attack as the energy from all of them turned green and flew into Dedenne. He looked rejuvenated.

"Passi…passi…" Passimian breathed heavily, but was quickly regaining its breath. Ash knew it wouldn't stop, though, not until they were done. He didn't want it to wear itself out fighting for something when they could both come to an understanding. They could make sure Lush Jungle's ecosystem remained secure without leading both sides to destruction. Knowing this, Ash grabbed an empty pokeball.

"Go, pokeball!" he cried. Passimian turned, moving sluggishly just as the pokeball hit it on the head. It took a second, but it went inside, disappearing as red light before the capture device dropped to the ground.

Then, the pokeball began to shake.

* * *

"How many times does one have to change direction before landing? !" Jessie complained, slumped over the edge of Team Rocket's balloon. For once, James had to wholeheartedly agree with his rather violent companion. After all, he, too, was slumped over the edge in exhaustion. They'd been following that Lionel guy on his Skarmory for almost a day now, only taking brief breaks to catch some sleep or eat while Wobbuffet steered the balloon.

"Stuf?" Stufful asked of Jessie, pawing at her worriedly. Jessie didn't respond, merely letting out an irritated groan. James simply observed the pair, amazed at how close Stufful was to Jessie already…though she and Gourgeist treated the Pokémon like it was their daughter in a sense.

"Hey, I tink he's finally landin'!" Meowth called, peering through the binoculars. His words were like a salve to James' utter exhaustion and the man finally regained his vertical mobility. He shuffled over to the other end of the balloon, where Meowth was keeping watch, and pulled out his own binoculars. He focused them, peering over to the now slowly descending Skarmory. There appeared to be a small clearing amidst the palm trees, occupied solely by a trailer caravan, which was where the lunchbox guy and Lionel were heading. James quickly brought up his map and realized that they were, somehow, still on Akala. After having passed the volcano a couple times on their journey, he had begun to wonder if they were still circling the accursed island.

"No, down! Wobbuffet, lower the balloon!" Jessie commanded tersely.

"Wobb wobb!" Wobbuffet said, quickly lowering the balloon so they wouldn't be as obvious amidst the tree covers. At least with their binoculars, the trio realized that they could thankfully see the quarry they had been following tirelessly for the last day. Jessie finally joined the boys in peering over, a microphone amplifier in her hands that she aimed at the group.

"So who all is there?" she asked snappishly. James couldn't blame her; they were all thoroughly exhausted.

"Not many," Meowth commented. From James' own observation, the feline was absolutely right about that. In fact, the place looked almost positively abandoned if not for two men in the clearing, sitting comfortably on the stairs into the trailer. They both looked familiar, and James quickly recalled them as the ones known as Aidan (his blond-haired ponytail and sharp glasses giving him away) and Theodore, formerly (or still, James was unsure) known as Tau.

"Took you a while," Aidan's voice resounded through the clearing as Skarmory touched down. "This our contact?"

"Yes, my name is Looker, member of the International Police," Looker spoke, taking out his badge and showing it to both of the men there. Lionel patted his Skarmory and then returned him. His gaze traveled around the clearing, but Team Rocket ducked, hoping to avoid any attention. It appeared to work, because the men continued with their conversations. James and Meowth leaned in to listen to it in full.

"He checks out," Lionel said to his compatriots. "He was with Ash and the others at the time, so I know he is who he says he is."

"Then why did it take you so long to get here?" Aidan demanded. To James' ears, the man sounded suspicious, but Lionel laughed off the entire thing. James peeked his head out, watching as Lionel placed a pokeball back on his belt, likely Skarmory's.

"Wanted to make absolutely sure we weren't followed," Lionel instructed. "I'm pretty sure we escaped detection from anyone whose ears and lips would cause problems…Tiring out any pursuers would do that…I'm becoming as paranoid as you at this point."

"Nothing wrong with a little paranoia, Lionel," Aidan snapped. Looker happened to clear his throat, as if reminding them that he was still there. Lionel thumped him on the back as his blond companion dropped the subject. "Right, so…Team Skull…"

"Indeed," Looker spoke, taking a notebook out from his jacket pocket and flipping through it. James wondered how he wasn't sweating in the heat of the region. "I had the opportunity to see them in action, myself. However, in terms of taking them down, I do believe there are only two people of any real concern in the organization: someone known as Big Sis Plumeria, and their boss, Guzma. Though neither names are very big secrets."

"Hmm…" Aidan commented, as though he was actually dismissing the subject out of hand. Lionel appeared to be rather disinterested himself, leaning against the trailer with a yawn. "Do you believe they're of any threat, then?"

"No, personally not," was Looker's response, flipping his notebook back shut and pocketing it. "From what I understand, the only real power they hold is presumably on Po Town in Ula'ula, but they typically keep to themselves and the locals don't seem to like to interfere, so it's a bit up in the air as to its validity. Though I've no idea about the opinions on the island itself."

"That's something we could figure out when we get there," Lionel yawned out. "I don't care to go chasing after small-time Pokémon thieves, though. Even if they did supposedly attack Iki Town."

"Some of my research has revealed that particular excursion to be more personal than anything," Looker finished reporting to them. "I've been told by my superiors to assess the situation alongside you and make a plan for what's needed to be done."

"Tell your superiors to lay off, then," Aidan spoke harshly, folding his hands behind his back. Lionel looked to roll his eyes. "ARC can handle investigations from here. We're more acquainted with Ula'ula."

"I understand that, but…the League and the International Police want to make sure both the Hope Leilani and the first Alola League to go off without a hitch," Looker argued. Aidan genuinely didn't appear to care, but Lionel ceased his yawns to put a hand on his companion's shoulder.

"We understand," Lionel said. "All of our organizations need to work together in order to ensure that nothing like the past happens again. Can't have DARC's actions inspiring others to reach the same level of manipulation and world-altering effects."

"DARC is dead," Aidan spat. "We're just busy ensuring that there are no more tipping points to come to pass. ARC has always worked in the shadows."

"And we'll continue to do so," Lionel said. His voice had grown colder, harsher. Aidan didn't recoil, his lips pursed as he stared down his nose at the leader of their group. James raised his eyebrows, wondering if there was any infighting within ARC that they could exploit. "The International Police are still our allies, though. While we work behind the scenes, searching for Zygarde, they will actively be looking at Team Skull, if you can. At the very least, anyone who would be watching would be blind to our movements."

"That is the role we've discussed in alliance between the three organizations," Looker confirmed. James instantly dug for the device on his wrist, bringing up a purple screen and typing in all of the information that was prevalent. Zygarde was supposedly in Alola, and alliance between organizations. "We in the IP will be the face of operations, the G-Men will be the infiltrators and you all will be gathering the information no one can. In regards to Team Skull, there is someone I'm acquainted with that might be able to help. And as for information, since I've shared mine, it's important to have something from your end to report back."

"Fair point," Lionel conceded. His face grew cold and harsh, like he was no longer joking around about the state of things. "On the surface, everything is very peaceful in Alola, but we're certain that things  _will_  take a turn for the worse soon. Our six months in the region have convinced us of that."

"They have…?" James found himself unable to resist leaning closer to Jessie in order to hear more of the dialogue.

"Zygarde is definitely here," spoke the final voice in the group. James quickly realized that it belonged to Tau. "Its cells are active and aware, keeping an eye on things. The only reason for that is because it senses something is about to happen…just like Kalos."

"That's the major foundation for our theory: DARC mentioned a tipping point in the past, and though we stopped them, the world doesn't stop moving. Maybe it won't happen to the same extent, but we can certainly expect that there  _will_  be a tipping point in the near future. There's been too much peace." Lionel's fearful premonition made James shake a little, though it wasn't from fear.

"I knew it…" he hissed to his companions, but Jessie hit him over the head to shut him up.

"Nature doesn't stop moving," Tau continued. "Nor does the world it seems. Apparently, the guardian deities of Alola are on the move, or at least the one on Melemele Island. That, combined with Zygarde's presence all but clinches it: nature has decided that the next battle for our world will be here."

" _That's_  what you can report to your superiors," Aidan concluded. "Things are beginning to move in the region. The peace we saw six months ago has changed. We asked for your help with Team Skull because they'd been slightly more active, though it seems to amount to nothing. But the other trends can't be ignored."

"So, tell our bosses at the League and the International Police to be ready at any time," Lionel finally said. His voice was so brimming with authority that it made even Team Rocket stand up straighter. "The clouds are certainly about to burst, and we need to be ready when they do. In the meantime, we'll continue our own research, looking for answers."

"So…wait, bad things are about to happen in Alola?" Jessie whispered. James and Meowth nodded, confirming that was what seemed to be said. "Then what do  _we_  do? Should we tell the boss and capitalize on it?"

"Hmm…" James mused. He wasn't sure exactly what the boss would say if they told him what they'd just heard. All he knew was something that had settled inside of him when they had first received their mission. "I'm not sure, but I don't think we should continue to pursue ARC so thoroughly."

"Why's that?" Jessie asked. She didn't sound angry, at the very least.

"Well, if this really is another battle for our world…do we really want to take out the chance to save it by eliminating the people that are trying to?" Jessie folded her arms, as though deciding that James had a point. The blue-haired man looked to their other companion, who tapped his chin before answering.

"I don't tink dat'd be a problem. Da last time we had a world-endin' situation, da boss told us to help 'em out," Meowth said. "So, let's do da same dis time."

"We could be heroes if we pull it off!" Jessie said, letting her clear delusions of self-grandeur sink in once again. "And then…I'll win the Hope Leilani and become the Ali'i ka Leilani! Perhaps I should permanently go around as Jessilie to promote myself to my adoring fans! Ahahahaha!"

"We've lost her to her delusions again…" Meowth expressed with a sigh. James did so as well, though he didn't think the idea of going around as Jessilie and her adoring fans was the absolute worst idea. It was probably one of Jessie's better ones. Deciding that to be the case, James turned back to look at where ARC and Looker were meeting, only to find a leering Banette in his face.

"Uh-oh…" James chuckled out. Meowth and Jessie looked to see what he was talking about and they all gulped. Clearly, Lionel had more than figured them and their presence out. Jessie grabbed hold of Stufful, who looked to struggle, wanting to break out of Jessie's arms. Then Wobbuffet grabbed all of them. Banette grinned further before vanishing.

Next they knew it… "Team Rocket's blasting off again!" And they disappeared into the sky over Akala.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Praise be to Bonnie and Dedenne! Joking aside for their awesomeness this chapter, it was very fun to write. Being able to write different interactions for the characters than what I could feasibly put into the Kalos Trilogy has made these trials very fun, especially since Ash gets to use all his different Pokémon to help him through it.
> 
> But underneath it, things are brewing…ARC is on the move, Zygarde's in the region and things are about to go to hell. Would you expect anything less from me? And then there's Passimian, whose personality, if you haven't figured it out, will be explored next chapter. But will Ash catch it or just make friends with it and go their separate ways? Guess you'll have to find out.
> 
> The trial comes to its conclusion next chapter, so stay tuned! Until that happens, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	21. A Race

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of the posting of this chapter, the entire Alola Trilogy is completely written. Therefore, there is never a need over the next many, many months of publication for this to ever really go off-schedule. But for now, let's enjoy Chapter 21!

Chapter 21

A Race

"I hope they're doing okay…" Clemont spoke, his voice trembling as he gripped on the edge of the stone balcony they had been directed to. His gaze was cast downward towards his nails instead of overlooking the jungle where the trial was currently taking place. Serena's own expression turned from one of scrutiny to worry and she looked over at her friend.

"I'm sure that Bonnie will be just fine," she reassured him. The words didn't appear to do anything to assuage his fears however, the lemon blond inventor digging in even further to the point that his fingers were turning red. Serena sucked a breath in and reached over, touching his shoulder as she balanced her egg carefully. "Clemont."

"What? I'm fine! I'm fine…" he blurted out, clearly without thinking. It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself of this notion. "It's just…the last time Bonnie was really left all alone…"

"But she's not alone," Serena reminded him. Clemont finally looked up at her and the Performer could now see the trepidation present in his gaze. He really was frightened about leaving Bonnie alone. Of course, she knew he trusted Ash, but none of them knew how deadly the jungle could possibly be. It didn't help that Rotom was taking pictures of every Pokémon and adjusting his calculations for success every couple minutes.

"I know she's not…" Clemont expressed. His fingers stopped digging into the stone, but were now piercing into his palm. "I just…if I'm not there to protect her…"

"Clemont, what's wrong?" she asked quietly. For a brief moment, she wondered if all of this was really just about Bonnie being on her own with Ash. Clemont  _had_  been acting off since they had left Melemele, really. It wasn't obvious, but there appeared to be something on his mind that he was struggling with and didn't want to tell anybody about. "You know you can tell me anything. I think of you as my best friend, and I know Ash feels the same."

"Mm," Clemont vocalized. He appeared conflicted, but without him saying anything, it made it impossible for her to discern just what he was conflicted about. That frustrated her. How could she help people, bring a smile to their face, if they weren't willing to open up and talk about it? Hoping to encourage him, Serena reached forward and took his hands, feeling them unclench in her own. It was a start. "It's just…how do I put it…"

"Try with words, Clemont," she told him softly. The inventor sucked in a breath and then spoke only two words, ones that appeared to encapsulate everything.

"I'm scared."

Serena wasn't sure what to make of that. Scared of what? Losing Bonnie? Ash not completing his trials? Or was it something different? Something so far beneath the surface that Serena couldn't understand? She frowned a bit, even though she knew that offering Clemont a smile might have been for the best. Not knowing which of those it could possibly be, Serena decided to deal with the one that she figured was the easiest. "You know, you don't have to be scared for Bonnie all the time. She's grown a lot and been through just as much as the rest of us. In less than a year she's going to be her own trainer and have lots of her own adventures and all we can do is support her from afar."

"I-I know that!" Clemont insisted, his cheeks going pink. Serena tilted her head, much like Ash and Pikachu when they were confused about something. "It's not that, it's-" The sound of footsteps coming out to the stone balcony interrupted him, causing him to shake his head. "It's nothing."

"Clemont…" Serena breathed out, but the boy was now adamant. She wasn't getting any more out of him, especially with Kiawe having joined them on the balcony, as shirtless as ever. For a second, it made her think of a shirtless Ash, but she fought the blush down and ignored it. "Wh-where have you been?"

"Had to grab something for the trial," the captain admitted, pointing down at the jungle floor below. Serena took the chance to look below, where Mallow had a fire going on top of a large blanket. It didn't look particularly safe, but the girl appeared to know what she was doing. She caught them watching and looked up with a wave. Serena waved back and cast her gaze out over the jungle. Other than some noises, she really couldn't see what was going on with Ash, Bonnie, Lillie and Hau. Though it made her wonder…

"Kiawe, is there a reason Mallow allowed them both to take the trial at the same time?" she asked of the other captain. Kiawe gave a start as he walked to the edge and leaned on the nature-made balcony.

"For her, it's not unusual, really," the boy answered, smirking lazily. "Mallow loves people coming together. It's a passion of hers, really. I may be more in tune with the spirituality that ties to Mount Akala and Tapu Lele, but Mallow…she connects with people. Maybe that's why we get along. We're like the two halves of Alola: people and Pokémon. So, if two people come to do her trial, having them work with each other…"

"But they're working against each other," Clemont pointed out.

"Are they?" Kiawe asked, his smirk growing ever wider. Serena scrunched her vision at his words, looking back over the jungle as far as she could see. "People, Pokémon, civilization, nature…they're all tied together. In this trial, perhaps more than any other, the trial-goers will learn this. I'm looking forward to how this will end."

Serena could see  _that_  from his smirk turning into a grin.  _He_  was getting excited about the state of the trial. Whether it was from a want to battle the two boys, himself, or simply because he enjoyed being present for a trial, Serena was unsure, but she was fine with leaving it at that. Putting a smile back on her face, she mulled over Kiawe's words and watched the jungle for more movement, hoping only for her friends' safety and success as the trial continued on.

* * *

Ash breathed in and out, his chest tightening with anticipation. Behind him, the grassy mantis-like Pokémon fell to the ground in heaps, allowing Bonnie and Dedenne to run forward with jubilation. Pikachu was at her side as she ran up to him.

"Did you see us? ! Weren't we great?" she asked of Ash. He smiled at her, keeping one eye on the pokeball that was still rocking back and forth.

"You were awesome, Bonnie! One heck of a team!" he said, putting his hand down low so she could give it a high five. She then appeared to realize the shaking pokeball and she took her hands into fists near her chest, watching it rock back and forth. Pikachu looked carefully, waiting with all the others. It felt like an eternity, constantly shaking…and then it wasn't.

_Ding!_  Like a sweet melody to Ash's ears, stars shot out from the pokeball as it ceased all movement and laid there, containing the newest Pokémon that Ash had caught. He looked to Pikachu and Rockruff, the latter looking tired after the battle, complete with her tongue wagging out. Both looked very happy, even as Dartrix swooped down from the trees, berry-less. Ash walked over to the pokeball that rested there and grabbed it, still able to feel its coolness through his gloves.

"All right, guys! I caught a Passimian!" he cheered, holding the pokeball up in the air triumphantly. It wasn't something he had expected, yet at the same time, felt right. Pikachu and Rockruff leapt into the air with joy and Ash pulled the pokeball closer to him. With another breath, he held it out. "Now, come on out, Passimian."

The light from the pokeball exploded and took the shape of the simian Pokémon before him. The black and white monkey looked around, as if confused, before placing his berry down and standing upright to look at Ash. Feeling a little more confident, Ash walked forward. "Passin?"

"Passimian, my name's Ash," he said, reaching his hand forward. The monkey considered it a moment, regarding it curiously no doubt. "I'm a Pokémon trainer, and…well…we're sorry for messing up your home."

"Simi?" Passimian now said. He seemed to understand what Ash was getting at because he smiled just a little and reached forward to give him a high five. Ash smiled at that. There was one step complete.

"Our battle was really great," he started to say while Bonnie plopped down next to him, choosing to groom Dedenne's fur for a moment. "You're really strong and precise. That's why you didn't want us taking the berries, wasn't it? When we took the Revival Herb, we probably didn't take it the best way, and you didn't want us to do the same for the berries."

"Pas," Passimian chattered out while nodding. Ash felt himself nodding, as well.

"That kind of dedication is amazing," he spoke, bringing himself even closer. Passimian, which he now realized was quite the large Pokémon when standing (taller than himself for sure), got back down into his crouch to be at eye level with the trainer. "I think you could put that kind of coordination and precision together perfectly in a battle. My other friends and I are trying to do the Island Trials, and this is one of them. It would mean a lot of battling, but we have lots of fun."

"Rockruff!"

"Darroh…" Dartrix said sleepily, his stomach rumbling a bit. Passimian looked at the both of them before ending on Pikachu, who raised his hand and smiled. Behind them, Ash could hear the sounds of Bonnie's foes slinking back off into their tree.

"If you'd like, Passimian, I'd love for you to join us. Not only in showing us how to not disturb the rest of the jungle," Ash stated to the Teamwork Pokémon, "but also because I think we'd get along well and improve all of our skills. If you want."

"Paaaaa…" Passimian said. He watched them a moment longer before turning around and bounding up towards the Mago Berry tree with a single leap. Ash ran closer and watched as Passimian quickly, but quite carefully, pulled a whole branch of berries down without even disturbing the tree. Dartrix's mouth watered, but Ash paid more attention to Passimian arriving back on the ground harmlessly and handing over the berries. "Simian!"

"You want to?" Ash asked. Passimian nodded silently, waiting for Ash and Bonnie to take the berries. They did so gingerly, careful to preserve them in the perfect way his new team member had, while placing a couple in Ash's bag, sharing them with the rest (mostly a hungry Dartrix). "All right everyone, let's greet our new partner, Passimian!"

"Pipikachu!"

"Passimian!" Passimian cried out, tossing his large berry into the air, it landing perfectly on his back, rolling off his tail and back into his hand. It displayed the absolute precision of his moves in the battle as he grinned at Ash. Grinning at his new Pokémon, Ash reached forward with an extended fist. Passimian met it.

"Nice to meet you, Passimian!" Bonnie called, running over and hugging the Pokémon without thinking. He stiffened, but soon accepted Bonnie's affections. "You got such a cute Pokémon."

"Passa? !" Passimian called, as if offended he'd be called cute. Ash just laughed alongside his Pokémon, eventually prompting him to laugh, too, reaching over with his free hand to pat the girl on the back. For a Pokémon that seemed uptight earlier, Passimian definitely seemed to understand the general vibe of the group. Ash was just glad that the impromptu, yet right-feeling, capture had turned out so well with a mutual acceptance. It made Ash feel like Passimian liked to battle and bring his precision skills anywhere he could. He seemed to nod this wordlessly, too.

"Passimian, now that you're a part of the team, we're looking for Tamato Berries to complete the trial. Do you know where they are?" Ash asked. At his feet, Rockruff was starting to pant a little more, the exhaustion from the earlier battle taking its toll. Taking sympathy, Ash returned her to her pokeball.

"Pas!" Passimian uttered. He grabbed on to his berry and then jerked his head, as if indicating for them to follow him. That was good enough for Ash and Bonnie. Passimian then ran forward into the jungle; Ash wasn't surprised at the speed, but certainly found it a challenge to keep up with the monkey.

"Well, this is lucky," Bonnie noted, clutching Dedenne in her arms as she picked up her own speed to chase after Ash's newest team member. "Who thought we'd run into such a great guide?"

"Yeah, he really knows his way, and I bet he'll be a really great addition to the team," Ash pointed out. This proved to be the case when the duo lost sight of Passimian for just a second, worried he'd left them behind, only for the lemur to back up and make sure they were still able to follow him. That only endeared him further to Ash. Passimian seemed equally impressed by Dartrix, who was able to keep up with him efficiently and with little problem as they ran.

Eventually, their whole entire group broke out onto a dirt path. Looking down to the left, Ash noticed that it seemed to essentially lead right back to the entrance of the jungle. When Bonnie saw this, she stuffed her list into her bag with a pout, all of the extra work wasted (though Ash was pretty certain that the map would have been a useless mess of squiggles anyway). At the very least, it meant that they only had to follow Passimian's lead as he went to the right, towards a large grove in the back.

"Let's do this," Ash stated, punching into his hand. He grabbed Bonnie's hand and the two spun in Passimian's direction before charging down the dirt path that was winding. The monkey didn't bother with that, instead showing them how to perfectly move through the plants without damaging them or the trees they were attached to. Despite all that, he didn't slow down one bit. The duo dove into the brush, carefully moving as Passimian ordered them to. Flitting by the sides was the winding path, but Ash had a feeling they were cutting off a lot of extra time; with the extra guidance, the time limit Mallow had set seemed meaningless.

There was a loud crashing noise, like one of the plants being ripped over. Passimian pulled to a halt for a second, almost seething a little at the thought that someone would ruin the precious jungle he'd been a part of. Ash looked to Bonnie, who rolled her eyes…they had a rather good idea of who would be doing that.

"Slow down, Oranguru!" Hau's voice could be heard yelling. "I know you're taking us to the Tamato Berries, but there's no need to knock everything down on the way."

"Unless he's trying to kill us and we don't know it," Lillie squeaked out. Ash closed the distance to Passimian and put a hand on him carefully. The monkey looked at him, a spark of both recognition and fury resting in his eyes. Somehow, Ash had a feeling that whatever Hau was referring to was some kind of rival to Passimian in the jungle.

"Don't worry about him," Ash said calmly. "Right now, the goal is to make it to the Tamato Berry, all right?"

"Pas," Passimian responded in the affirmative. Wrenching himself away from the sound of Hau, Lillie and their supposed new Pokémon crashing their way through the jungle, Passimian once more sped forward, leading them through the brush. The sounds of their rivals grew ever closer, as did the final stretch of the dirt path that led to a gigantic bush in the back of the jungle, covered in red dots: Tamato Berries.

"Ah! It's Ash! Don't tell me you're after the Tamato Berry, too!" Hau shouted. He and Lillie appeared to be floating in midair, almost making Ash stop, if it weren't for his feet moving of their own accord towards the berries.

"Yeah, we are. Last ingredient on the list," Ash said, smirking a little in challenge. Hau laughed it off with a good nature. Finally, they all broke out onto the dirt road and Ash got a look at what they seemed to be floating on: a Pokémon with purple fur on white fur, clutching to a leafy fan and surrounded by the blue aura of Psychic. There was no doubt this was an Oranguru.

"Hey, so are we!" Hau grinned. "And this is my new buddy, Oranguru. Wait…"

"Ah, Hau!" Lillie clutched to Hau as Oranguru pulled to a sudden stop. So did Passimian, but Ash and Bonnie weren't  _riding_  him. As a result, both Hau and Lillie fell to the floor, skidding a bit along the dirt path with Pipi tumbling off. Ash, himself, pulled to a stop, staring between the two monkeys as they glared at one another. Now Ash was certain that these two had encountered one another before in a not-too-friendly fashion, though it wasn't anything  _too_  serious. Passimian grabbed his berry defensively while Oranguru dropped to ground, feet sending up dust clouds.

"Passa!" Passimian called out to him. Ash looked his Pokémon in the eyes and the Teamwork Pokémon grinned cheekily. Ash got the message: go on, I'll handle this one.

"Thanks, Passimian, we'll be right back! Pikachu, Dartrix, go get those berries!" Ash called, holding once more to Bonnie as the two sped past the toppled Hau and Lillie. Pikachu and Dedenne were already bounding ahead, with Dartrix even faster.

"Oh, no you don't! Pipi, go get 'em!" Hau called, his voice muffled owing to his face being stuck in the dirt. Lillie was a little more fortunate, getting to her feet. Dropping the bag with Nebby to the ground, she pelted forward, a glint of steely determination in her eyes. Ash briefly looked back toward the girl catching up to them to see Nebby look at Hau when he sat up.

"You know that Tamato Berries can be hard to handle because they're so hot, right?" Ash asked of the girl as she caught up to them, huffing and puffing, but not giving up. A small distance ahead, Pikachu and Pipi had their electric sacs locked together as they struggled against one another, barely making any progress. The sounds of battle were also behind them as Passimian appeared to be tossing a Shadow Ball at Oranguru who used its fan to produce an Energy Ball. Judging from the way Hau was cheering it on, Oranguru must have been his own newest Pokémon.

"I can handle it…" Lillie insisted, holding her hat down as she ran. Ash grinned, but wasn't giving the race away just yet.

"Dartrix, now!" Ash called. Suddenly, Dartrix swooped down, careful as he nipped the berries from the bush and carried them over to Ash and Bonnie. Bonnie leaped up, hitting them over to Ash, who opened his backpack and caught them inside with the Mago Berries. "Pikachu, time to go!"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called, creating an Iron Tail to swing at Pipi. She blocked it with a Brick Break, but the moment allowed Pikachu to run for Ash as he turned right around. He was forced to let go of Bonnie's hand, but the little girl had her own grin of determination, Dedenne running up to Pipi and nuzzling her. As he did so, the Antenna Pokémon jumping back into Bonnie's arms, Lillie darted past the incapacitated Pipi out of necessity to reach the berries, reaching out to grab them with her bare hands. Ash almost stopped a moment at hearing her hiss, but when he looked back, he saw her running forward, still with the same steel glint, bending down to scoop up Pipi.

"Let's finish the race you guys!"

"No way!" Hau called right as Oranguru used a Psychic to slam Passimian into the ground. Just before he was squashed, the lemur created multiple copies of himself, easily slipping out of the control to grin at Oranguru. Ash had a sudden idea.

"Use Shadow Ball on the ground!" he called just as their entire group caught up. Passimian jumped upwards with his amazing leg strength and slammed his shadow swirling berry into the ground. Dust exploded, obscuring them from view as they dashed straight into the leaves and trees again.

"Nice job, Lillie! You all right?" Hau was heard asking.

"A little burned, but just fine," came Lillie's answer. "No more stalling. We have a race to win!"

"Hurry it up!" Bonnie yelled. Ash agreed, gripping for Trumbeak's pokeball. Passimian was having no problem keeping up the speed in guiding them back to entrance, glancing back occasionally to see what they were about to do.

"Trumbeak, I choose you!" Ash called, tossing her pokeball forth. Trumbeak appeared, and both she and Dartrix only needed one look to confirm what needed to be done. Ash did, too, looking back to see that Hau and Lillie were back on Oranguru and floating for the entrance. Suddenly, Ash felt himself pulled up by Dartrix's powerful talons while Trumbeak grabbed ahold of Bonnie. They blasted forward, soon drawing even with Passimian, back on the dirt road. Unfortunately, the sound of crashing trees soon drew Ash's attention as Hau's group began to draw even.

"We're not losing this one!" the cheerful boy said. Ash threw a challenging look to him as what appeared to be the bright exit from Lush Jungle grew closer. Passimian and Oranguru glared at one another, almost looking ready to butt heads, themselves, just as they saw Mallow. Ash and Hau snapped one final glare at each other.

"I'm gonna win!" they shouted, just as Oranguru lost its balance. The Sage Pokémon pitched forward, knocking into them all and bowling them all forward. Only Passimian managed to escape the pile up by leaping overhead. Dartrix was the first up, cleaning his wings off carefully. Ash groaned, raising himself slightly from next to Hau as both boys said the defining words at the same time. "Finish!"

"Pikachu…" their Pikachu responded out. The sound of clapping, along with rousing cheers lifted Ash's spirits and he looked over to see Mallow, with Serena, Clemont and Kiawe up above, throwing their voices of cheer at them. Rotom, funnily enough, was the one to come straight down and start snapping pictures of the two Pokémon that were locking glares with one another.

"Fascinating! Ash and Hau have caught Passimian and Oranguru respectively! That's impressive," Rotom said, snapping a picture. "Oranguru are only said to team up with very skilled trainers while Passimian are great team members. Though, what's more surprising is that Bonnie managed to let Ash tie with Hau."

"Of course! Maybe we didn't help a lot, but we shocked Pipi and bought ourselves the extra seconds to win!" Bonnie groaned out. Ash rolled his eyes a moment.

"Nice to see you, too, Rotom…" Ash groaned, pulling himself to a standing position and helping Bonnie to do the same. Once they had (with Hau and Lillie doing the same), Ash turned to look at Mallow, finally noticing a huge pot, or what looked like one, at least, created from what looked like molten rock over a boiling fire with fresh spring water bubbling up. "So…who won?"

"What do you mean?" Mallow laughed out gaily. "You both won!"

"But that makes no sense…" Hau laughed out. Ash had to agree. It made absolutely no sense that they had seemed to have  _both_  won when they were having a competition. "I thought we were competing to see who would win the right to challenge the Totem Pokémon."

"Well…yeah…" Mallow admitted. She turned right around, extending her legs and walking towards the big pot. Ash scratched the side of his head while Hau put his hands behind his head.

"That's confusing…even more than the girl at the malasada shop in Heahea giving me those numbers like the one in Hau'oli."

"Hau…" Lillie said, puffing her cheeks at the boy, like she was angry with him. Bonnie just laughed while swatting the persistent Rotom away. Mallow finally stopped her walking.

"I said you were competing," the captain admitted, tapping the side of the pot and bringing her hand away quickly from the heat. "I never said you were competing with  _each other_. You were just competing against time, and you both made it perfectly!"

"Uh…" Ash couldn't get the words out, genuinely dumbstruck over what Mallow was telling to them. All of that effort trying to hold the other back and catch up to one another proved absolutely pointless. Ash looked to Hau and both boys had their mouths drop open. Then they started laughing in relief. Part of Ash felt so stupid, realizing that the whole time he could have been working  _with_  Hau instead of against him. At this particular revelation, Bonnie and Lillie took out the lists of ingredients from their bags, putting them right next to each other.

"They're different…" Bonnie commented.

"And complimentary, if my studies are anything to go by," Lillie remarked. She lifted her head to glance with the others at the grinning captain. "You mean, we were jointly collecting ingredients for a combined recipe and it just called for extra Tamato Berries?"

"That's right!" Mallow replied in a chipper tone. Ash felt his body sag a bit, but he soon replaced it with a grin. "Your trial isn't over yet, though."

"We still have to battle the Totem, right?" Hau called out, coming to stand right next to Ash as they both approached Mallow. Neither were clearly sure how that was going to happen now, what with Mallow's strange process, but they decided to trust in her nonetheless while their Pokémon stood by to cheer them on. Even Passimian and Oranguru stopped their glaring to stand with their respective team members. It made Ash have a greater respect for the boy next to him; Oranguru only chose trainers that were experienced, and it seemed to have no problem working with Hau.

"You'd be exactly right, but the Totem is a little reclusive around here," Mallow laughed out, grabbing what appeared to be a giant bowl and stirring the water. "So, we're going to make a soup as an offering for it, with you boys as the chefs."

"Oh my," Serena's voice echoed out from her placement on the balcony. Ash glared up at his girlfriend, watching her slap her hands to her mouth in apology.

"Sounds fun. Where do we start?" Hau said enthusiastically. Mallow appeared to like that response, and Ash shared in it by digging into his bag to take out the perfectly pruned Mago and Tamato Berries. Bonnie ran up to him with the Revival Herb while Lillie dropped off Hau's ingredients. The two boys offered them to Mallow, who pointed down at the large blanket. Not wanting to bruise them, the two boys kneeled and placed the various ingredients gently down. When they straightened up, Mallow was once more holding a piece of parchment that she handed over to Ash.

"Simple instructions that even the most novice cook can handle…I think," she laughed out. Ash wanted to think so, considering that as he and Hau looked over it, it seemed to be nothing more than "add this ingredient, stir". Hau immediately jumped into action, taking a mushroom he had found, and with the cutlery resting on the blanket, he chopped it up and threw it in.

"Mago Berry is next, huh?" Ash questioned. He looked back at his Pokémon, in particular Passimian, who was watching him closely. Seeing that, Ash grabbed at the Mago Berry he had and took one of the knives, slowly following the directions to peel it. The first one didn't go so well, both because he sliced his finger a little and also because he cut straight through the berry. How people like Brock, Cilan and Clemont could do this every day, he had no idea. By his fourth berry, though, he had finally peeled it and tossed it in.

"This thing won't open…" Hau cried, gripping at a rather large seed, trying to pry it apart. Ash walked over, looking at the directions and stirred the berry and mushrooms into the mixture, it turning a pink color, to his surprise. Finally, Hau cried out, placing the seed down and smashing it with his foot. That appeared to do the trick, as he happily picked up the seed and dumped the insides into the pot. Ash stirred even more vigorously as the Pokémon behind him cheered him on. It was frothing now.

"Quick, Hau, get the Revival Herb over here!" Ash cried. Hau nodded, taking the grass that Ash had pulled and scattering it over the bubbling liquid. It soothed down for a second before truly bubbling and boiling. Ash looked at the final directions; this really  _was_  easy, considering Mallow had put in directions like "dice it", "pound it", and "beat it". "Smash 'em!"

"No problem!" Hau said. Both he and Ash turned away from the pot to grab what looked like a hammer each and they proceeded to beat on the Tamato Berries, turning them into complete mush. If Ash was honest with himself, that part was actually fun, and in a minute they were tossing the berries into the pot. Now it looked like it was going to explode, though, until a bubble formed and burst outward, settling it down into a steaming red color.

"Huh…that was pretty easy. Maybe I should try cooking for the group," Ash mused aloud.

"Please don't, Ash," Serena called to him, having obviously heard him. "I love you, but not enough to let you cook."

"That's mean." Mallow ignored the apologetic look Serena was shooting him as she dipped her finger into the substance and tasted it.

"Yep. Perfect. The smell should attract the Totem here," the green-haired captain said positively. Ash and Hau both leaned over the concoction they'd just created. It  _looked_  somewhat appetizing, though the smell felt like it was burning Ash's nostrils. Mostly, he was just surprised at how quickly it cooked, figuring it had something to do with the ingredients they had brought.

"Wonder what it tastes like…" Bonnie commented, reaching over to dip a finger into the mix. Ash and Hau shrugged, finding nothing else for it and mimicked her before the three placed the soup into their mouths.

"Tangy…" Ash commented, remembering some of the cornucopia of words Cilan would use to describe things. Bonnie smacked her lips, not finding anything surprising until…"AGH!"

"It's spicy!" Hau screamed. The three fell to the ground, clutching at their mouths. Ash felt like he could pretty much breathe fire, causing Pikachu to run up to him and call for him. Lillie was on the move, too, handing over a water bottle to Hau. Ash accepted the suggestion, digging into his backpack for his own and guzzling it down. Finally, the taste of it vanished and the trio sat there heaving. "You could have warned us!"

"Well…it's not like you made it for human consumption," Mallow pointed out with a quirked eyebrow. Ash realized, with a disgruntled groan, that she was right. Even as Rotom laughed at Bonnie, who ordered Dedenne to use a rather successful Parabolic Charge on it (showing what had truly proved useful in the trial during Passimian's attack), Ash folded his arms and admitted internally that he shouldn't have tasted it. At least it hadn't impaired them for long. The sound of leaves parting and a near stomping sound echoed suddenly. "Oh, it's here."

"The Totem…" Ash said darkly, pulling himself to his feet. Hau was doing the same, aided by Lillie. After he had gotten up, the blonde walked over to Bonnie and the two agreed to join Serena, Clemont and Kiawe on the balcony above. Ash could only imagine how proud Clemont was feeling at the successful display of Parabolic Charge.

"Aw yeah!" Hau said, rolling his shoulder a bit as he jumped up and down into the air. "So, how do we do this, Mallow?"

"Together," the green-haired captain called. Ash realized she had taken out a pokeball by now and was tossing it up and down. Finally, the crashing ceased and a new sound took its place.

"Luran…" Ash and Hau turned to the source of the newcomer's voice. As it parted the trees, Ash was no longer surprised by its size; all the Totem Pokémon were clearly large, and this one seemed smaller than Wishiwashi at the very least. Rotom, unafraid to remain near the battlefield, floated up to it.

"Ah, that's a Lurantis, the evolved form of Fomantis," Rotom pointed out. Ash looked to its screen and recognized the picture next to Lurantis as being the Pokémon that had so unscrupulously attacked Bonnie. "It fires beams from its sickle-shaped petals. These beams are powerful enough to cleave through thick metal plates."

"So it's strong," Ash commented. He had to grin at that one, especially when he saw Mallow approach Lurantis soothingly, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon leaning down to taste the soup.

"Is it to your satisfaction, Lurantis?" Mallow asked. The Totem appeared to smile, nodding its head before consuming the remainder of the soup. The captain reached over and patted it soothingly, just as the familiar orange aura erupted around its figure. The battle was already set to begin. "Okay, boys, we're doing a double battle! Kiawe, you mind officiating?"

"Why you and Lana don't keep trial guides on hand, I'll never understand…" the other boy called down with a shake of his head, yet walked down nonetheless. Mallow just grinned at him and turned back to the other two.

"You each get one Pokémon to face against my two, at the same time," the captain explained. She finally tossed her pokeball into the air and called out her Tsareena. Lurantis finished the soup and stepped forward, making a slight clicking noise. Ash's eyes shifted to Hau as the boy's did the same towards him. They both nodded. "First side with both down loses. If you guys beat us, you both will get a Grassium-Z."

As Mallow said this, she pointed in the direction that Lurantis had come from. If Ash squinted, he knew he could see the pillar like all the past trials.  _I need to start looking for those earlier…_ Regardless of his thought, Ash shook his head. Now was the time for battle, not worrying about architectural designs of the trials. "Dartrix, I choose you! The rest of you, cheer as hard as you can!"

"And Torracat, you're up!" Dartrix flapped over to the scene at the same moment that the light from Hau's pokeball receded. Both bird and cat caught sight of each other, staring for a moment until Dartrix broke it by flicking his hair dismissively.

"Merow!" Torracat called angrily, as if he didn't like being dismissed.

"Torracat, this is no time to fight. Dartrix is your partner for this fight," Hau explained to the Fire Cat Pokémon. At the same time, both Pikachu and Pipi ran up to their trainers, standing by their sides. A little ways back, separated from the battlefield, were Trumbeak, Passimian and Oranguru, watching the whole thing carefully. Kiawe finally reached the center of the field from the balcony and raised his hand.

"This will be a two-on-two double battle between the captain, Mallow, and the trial-goers, Ash and Hau. It will be over when either side is unable to battle, and no switching is allowed," Kiawe called, his voice booming across the expanse of space. Ash's fists tightened, and Hau rolled his shoulder once more with a grin. They were finally here. "Begin!"

"Torracat, use Flame Charge on Tsareena!" Hau commanded right away. Ash took the sight of Torracat wreathing himself in flames as a signal for him to join in the battle before Mallow and Lurantis could make a move. Kiawe backed up, watching both of his future challengers intently.

"Dartrix, get in there with Acrobatics!" Ash called, pointing straight for Lurantis, who was clicking its sickles loudly. Dartrix shot into the air, glowing turquoise before he zoomed through the air, right for Lurantis. At the same moment, Torracat was charging along the ground with flames spitting behind him.

"Tsareena, Sunny Day!" Mallow called, her hands in little fists, making her look like she was cheering happily. Ash found it an odd command, considering a Fire type was charging right at her Grass type, but Ash figured Hau could handle it as the area around them brightened through the trees from above. Lurantis' sickles were on the move as Dartrix flew right for it, some of the force from Acrobatics already pressing into its massive midsection.

"Luraaaaaan!" Lurantis cried. From the bushes suddenly leaped a whole swarm of Fomantis. For a second, Ash wondered if they were the same ones from earlier, but he couldn't think about it. Lurantis' sickles had moved, and surrounding it was a pink cyclone of what seemed to be cherry blossoms. It was no doubt Petal Blizzard, and as it blasted out, Dartrix was right in its path. The winds buffeted the Blade Quill Pokémon, halting his assault.

"High Jump Kick!" Mallow now ordered of her Tsareena. The queenly Pokémon leapt upwards, showing incredible leg strength and speed as she brought her lag slamming down upon Torracat.

"Use Bite to catch it," Hau called. Torracat's maw opened wide as Tsareena fell. He snapped forward, biting into her leg and holding her place. With Lurantis' Petal Blizzard still in the process of disappearing, Ash decided to aid Hau; it  _was_  a double battle after all.

"Dartrix, use Pluck on Tsareena!" Ash commanded.

"Darroh!" Dartrix said, nimbly changing course and flying straight for Tsareena, the blue glow shining off of his beak. There was another clicking noise and Ash turned in time to see the Fomantis firing a set of Razor Leaves off at the two enemies.

"X-Scissor!" Mallow called. It was the first move she'd given to Lurantis, and Ash wondered just what she was up to. He barely had the chance to, however. Lurantis was fast, both of its sickles glowing purple. Tsareena moved her other leg and slammed Torracat in the face, breaking free as the Razor Leaf made contact. At the same moment, Lurantis sliced in a cross-shaped fashion, sending both Dartrix and Torracat tumbling across the ground. Ash grit his teeth; it was fast…really fast. And it was on the move.

"Dartrix, use Leafage to pull the both of you out of there!" Ash called, realizing that Torracat wasn't in the state to actually pull out without taking some damage. Dartrix flapped up, sending his cyclone of leaves outward.

"Trop Kick, Tsareena," Mallow said, still with that same chipper tone of voice. For how serious Ash and Hau seemed to be taking the battle, Mallow sounded like she was just having fun. Tsareena leapt upward once again, but this time, instead of slamming down, she aimed forward with her kick as her leg glowed green. She, too, was showcasing her speed and flitted right through the Leafage cutting around her to slam into Dartrix and drive him into a tree.

"Torracat, use Flame Charge again!" Hau called. Torracat's body light on fire, igniting even faster than it had before. Only, just like last time, Lurantis was faster. It raised both of its sickles to the air, absorbing light quickly, just for Mallow to give the order.

"Solar Blade!" Lurantis slammed down with the blade of brimming sunlight. At the same time, the Fomantis moved in with glowing claws that sliced all around Torracat. Dartrix wasn't immune to the stunning attack either. The blade of sunlight crushed both Torracat and Dartrix into the ground, snapping one of the trees over in the process. Passimian cried out angrily at that, but did nothing more in the presence of the jungle's leader. Overhead, the sunlight dimmed, fading away to its normal sense of shine.

"Those Fomantis are getting pretty annoying, tag teaming every time Lurantis goes in for a hit," Ash pointed out to Hau. The younger boy nodded, but kept his grin regardless.

"Then let's tag team 'em ourselves," Hau suggested. Ash nodded.

"Dartrix, use Leafage and create some cover!" he called to his Pokémon. Dartrix managed to stand back up and shot into the sky. He threw his blade-like leaves out, the mess of them swirling around both Tsareena and Lurantis in a concealing cyclone.

"Now, Fire Fang on Lurantis! Take the Totem out!" Hau yelled. Torracat pounced, his maw alighting with flames. At the same time, Ash called for Dartrix to use Pluck. The two charged through the swirling leaves, not taking damage from the concealing attack. Mallow gave no orders to either of the two Pokémon that she was commanding, concerning Ash a little. He let it go, however, as Dartrix's attack slammed into Lurantis while Torracat definitively sunk his flaming jaw into the Totem.

"Tissss!" Lurantis screeched in a horrible hiss, crying out from the pain. A sudden flash of flame traveled up the Pokémon and Ash raised his hand out to high five Hau; they had managed to burn it.

"Use Stomp," Mallow called.

"Dodge it!" the two trainers called at once. Dartrix and Torracat immediately made moves to leap backwards, but were suddenly blocked by the quick speed of Lurantis' sickles digging into the ground behind them. Now locked in place, all they could do was take the Stomp attack that crashed into both of them. Like usual, the powerful slam from Tsareena's feet left them all reeling.

"Now's your chance, Lurantis. Use Synthesis and go on the offensive," Mallow said. Ash's fists clenched. Mallow had just been waiting for the right moment to completely take them off their game. Lurantis raised its sickles high once again, drawing energy from the sun…only it was different. While one sickle appeared to be healing it of its wounds, the other was gathering sunlight. Whether it was slower because it was only one or because the sunlight had faded, Ash wasn't sure, but Ash knew they had to strike before it was too late.

"I've got a plan, too," Hau said with his usual grin. It was almost like he'd read Ash's mind. "You just work on Tsareena and  _I'll_  take care of Lurantis, 'kay?"

"Sounds good," Ash agreed. Dartrix pushed himself up, hovering just above Torracat, a glint in both of their eyes. Whatever animosity or rivalry they held between them, it was irrelevant for now, each focused on getting the win. "Dartrix, use Acrobatics and take out those Fomantis, then head straight for Tsareena!"

"Koo!" Dartrix cried, instantly sending himself into a dive towards the clustered Fomantis. Each of them raised glowing sickles, as though ready to strike at Dartrix when he got close enough. Ash smirked a bit. The force of Dartrix's swooping slammed into the Fomantis from afar, knocking them out completely before he could get close. He turned his momentum, allowing himself to aim for Tsareena. The Fruit Pokémon shifted her long legs just a bit, like she was anticipating the attack.

"Now, Torracat, use Swagger!"

"Torreow!" Torracat hissed out, his flame sac puffing out a bit with pride. Dartrix swooped past him, right for the waiting Tsareena.

"Use Leafage to surround her and hide your approach," Ash said. Dartrix tossed the leaves out, whirling them around their foe. He vanished suddenly, reappearing behind Tsareena and pelting her with powerful talons. "Now, use Pluck!"

"Get ready, Tsareena, and Lurantis…" Mallow appeared to bite her lip. Lurantis was in no state to even do anything on its own, let alone listening to Mallow. Hau's attempt to take Lurantis out for the moment had worked, and judging by his flaming maw, Torracat was planning on ending it then and there, the Totem Pokémon whirling around, confused and unable to call for help. Dartrix slammed into Tsareena, knocking her through the barrier of leaves. Sadly, she landed upright without a single problem. "Tsareena, High Jump Kick on Torracat!"

"Tsar!" Tsareena said haughtily, her leg glowing brightly yet again. She leapt into the air and extended said leg out, right for Torracat. Hau called for him to dodge, but he was already aiming for Lurantis, the confused Bloom Sickle Pokémon suddenly alighting with fire from its earlier burn.

"Get Torracat out of there!" Ash called. Hau was nodding fervently. Dartrix changed directions from his spot in midair to grab Torracat with his talons. The cat cried out, pawing nastily at the air as Tsareena came crashing down upon the spot he had been.

"Merow…?" Torracat asked in shock as Dartrix dropped him. Ash's Pokémon nodded, as if answering. Tsareena grimaced but a few feet away, the pain of the missed High Jump Kick shuddering through her body. Hau instantly leapt on the initiative.

"Flame Charge!" he shouted. While Dartrix leapt out of the way, Torracat blazed forward, body surrounded in flames as he did so, straight for Tsareena. Ash looked over to Lurantis, seeing that it was slumped over and breathing heavy, almost winded…but no longer stamping around or looking confused. They had to end this.

"Sunny Day!" Mallow said. She was still cheering, causing Ash to narrow his eyes. What did the captain have up her sleeve for this battle? Before, Sunny Day  _had_  proven to be quite the boon for her team, but surely the same thing couldn't work twice? Torracat slammed into Tsareena, the flames wracking her body as she flew back, slamming into a rock. Chunks broke off, and then Tsareena slumped to the ground.

"Tsareena is unable to battle!" Kiawe announced. Above, in the balcony, Ash's companions all cheered.

"Not done yet," Ash said. Hau nodded, ordering Torracat to turn his attention to Lurantis, just as their opponent sprang into action. It raised one sickle, charging it just as it had before. Ash's eyes lit up, even ordering a futile dodge. It  _was_  the sun. And more than that, he'd figured out a way to actually force the teamwork between the two Pokémon on the field to win this battle. Lurantis swung down with the sunlit blade, colliding with both Torracat and Dartrix, who tumbled backwards and against each other.

"Luraaaan…" Lurantis called out, as though feeling its victory was secured. Even with the burn, even without Mallow. Ash had to admit: the speed with which Lurantis moved was making it difficult to keep up, even with Torracat's speed increasing and all of the damage they had afflicted. The Bloom Sickle Pokémon had a way of making this a war of attrition; one Ash was highly against.

"Well, this isn't looking good for us…" Hau admitted, turning his gaze upon Ash. The raven-haired trainer nodded and turned to face his rival, holding out a fist.

"Then let's work together and really make the odds work in our favor," he said to him. Hau tilted his head in curiosity, so Ash leaned in to whisper his plan, one that he could only hope would work in slowing the Totem down. Hau appeared to get it and he bumped Ash's fist.

"Let's do it!" he stated confidently. "Torracat, no matter what, follow my lead."

"Merow!"

"You, too, Dartrix. It's time to win this." Dartrix replied in the affirmative, looking to Torracat and nodding. They both looked roughed up, but Ash knew this was unequivocally the time to strike. Mallow may have been ahead, judging by her smiling expression and small use of moves, but Ash knew they had the fighting chance to win this.

"Torracat, use Bite on Lurantis!" Hau ordered, throwing both of his fists in the air. Torracat snarled and ran forward, his speed picking up with gleaming fangs.

"Now you head straight up, Dartrix! Use Leafage and get as many leaves up above the battlefield as you can!" Ash yelled. Dartrix nodded and shot straight up. At Ash's feet, Pikachu was cheering loudly for the success of his teammate.

"Petal Blizzard!" Mallow called, putting a palm out. She was clearly taking the battle a little seriously, now that she had lost Tsareena. Ash looked to Hau and stepped towards him with a smirk. They put their backs to each other, each of them feeling the support of the other in the battle. Lurantis was surrounded by the pink petals that blasted out in a spiral for Torracat. Up above, Dartrix was flapping his wings wildly, leaf after leaf shooting out with the wind and hanging in the air. It took a few moments, but Ash noticed the light fading.

"Now, Flame Charge!" Hau screamed. Torracat blasted out with flames around its body and charged right forward. His speed was now beyond unbelievable, almost matching Dartrix's normal speed as he burst into the petals before him. The pink petals scattered as he charged forward and slammed into Lurantis.

"Synthesis! Hurry!" Ash and Hau reached out, slapping their hands against each other before pointing forward. It was the moment they had been waiting for. Lurantis raised its sickles up and began glowing with green, only it was slower than before, the light of the sun preventing energy from reaching the Bloom Sickle Pokémon.

"Now, Acrobatics!"

"Fire Fang!" Torracat's maw opened wide and bit right into Lurantis' body with his fiery fangs. At the same exact moment, Dartrix descended, slamming into the Totem's head from above with Acrobatics, causing it to take a knee and canceling the Synthesis.

"Break them up with X-Scissor!" Lurantis raised up, crying out loudly as it crossed its sickles.

"No way!" Ash and Hau said together. "We're winning this one!"

"Yeah! Go Ash and Hau!" Bonnie's voice could be heard echoing around the place. Lillie appeared to simply be clapping with Serena while Clemont gripped at the balcony. Ash grinned at them and held his fist up into the air. Hau, seeing it, clearly decided he liked it, for he did the same.

"Now, Dartrix, pick up Torracat!" Dartrix practically flipped off, flapping down to Torracat and pulling him up with his talons, just as he had to save him before. Only, this wasn't a defensive move, but an offensive one, even as the purple X-Scissor was making its way for them. "Go!"

"Flame Charge!"

"Torrreow!" Torracat almost roared as flames surrounded his body. Dartrix flew forth at quick speed, further helped along by the flames that were speeding them up, making them appear almost like a blip. Lurantis flinched, the flames wracking its body. Then Ash gave the last command.

"Use Pluck!" Dartrix cried out and their speed made them vanish. Then, Lurantis howled in pain as both Dartrix and Torracat appeared on the other side. Lurantis was blasted back a bit and its body burst with flames, consuming it for several seconds before subsiding. Torracat dropped to the ground and everyone waited, watching Lurantis.

Its sickle plunged into the ground, as though it were steadying itself. Then it fell, crashing down onto the jungle floor with practical swirls in its eyes. Ash let out a laugh, one that he shared with Hau, before both boys turned to Kiawe in order to hear the final judgement call. The other captain stepped forward, looking at Mallow, who appeared to shrug, like the result didn't matter.

"Totem Lurantis is unable to battle, therefore the victory goes to the trial-goers, Ash and Hau."

"All right!" the boys yelled, practically leaping into the air (though in Hau's case, it was quite literal). They instantly threw a high five at one another, grinning the whole while. That lasted all of five seconds before their Pokémon had made their way back over and tackled them.

"You were awesome, Torracat!" Hau proclaimed, holding the cat up into the air. He smiled down at his trainer just as Ash pet Dartrix on the head, hearing him coo. Rustling sounds from behind indicated that both the large Passimian and the smaller Trumbeak were also there.

"See, Passimian. Told you we have a lot of fun," he told the monkey. Dartrix nodded, raising a wing. He looked tired, but Ash could tell he still had quite the bit of stamina in him (at least when it likely came to eating). Though, the battle  _had_  been much easier than it first suggested. Shaking the distracting thought away, Ash looked to Passimian.

"Passimian!" he cried out, rubbing his berry against the ground excitedly. Ash had to laugh at that, glad he had earned his newest partner's enthusiasm. Having that, Ash turned to see that Mallow was leaning down by Lurantis, thanking it for the battle by feeding it some of the soup she had saved. That felt nice to Ash, glad to see that Lurantis was all right. More important than that, though…

"You two won!" Serena's voice yelled and Ash found himself tackled to the ground, caught by Passimian as his girlfriend wrapped her arms around him with a smile. Clemont approached slower with Lillie and Bonnie, the egg held in his arms while Rotom hung back, clearly having exhausted itself after taking so many pictures.

"Thanks!" Ash said, putting his hands on her and pushing her off. To his surprise, Serena was actually crying a little, though he figured it was the joy at him clearing his third trial. Ash summoned up the joy of victory inside him and leaned forward to kiss her briefly as they stood. She returned it, the two finally breaking it once Ash saw Mallow approaching with the familiar box.

"You know, I'm not surprised about either of you," the girl spoke out. The Totem Lurantis had gotten upright now, looking down at Bonnie, who appeared enthralled with it for the moment before it slunk back into the jungle. "Not only did you two manage to befriend new Pokémon, but you completely finished the trial before the sun even started to set."

"Why? Is that unusual?" Hau asked, throwing his hands behind his head.

"It is," came the answer from Kiawe. "In all the time I've visited Mallow during her trial as captain, I only saw one other person complete the trial so quickly, and that was about three months back. So, yeah, it's impressive."

"Well, we're coming for you next," Ash said. He looked over to Hau, who was grinning, as well, as they looked to the final trial captain of Akala. Kiawe smirked and laughed, holding out his hand. The boys reached forward and took it, shaking it like a promise that they would overcome the captain.

"Come on, Kiawe," Mallow said, slapping at the boy as she finished her approach. "Stop taking away from  _my_  trial. But he's right. It was great fun battling you both. The way the two of you came to work together in the end was awesome."

"That was the point, wasn't it?" Hau asked. Ash looked at him, but realized just how much that made sense. If the first trial was learning about the natural order of things, and the second was about the power of teamwork, this one was a further extension of that, bringing together two people and Pokémon, working together. It made Ash wonder just what Kiawe's trial was about.

"That's correct, and you two worked together really well," Mallow answered. "Not everyone can, you know? That's why I've got no problem presenting the Grassium-Z to either of you."

Ash looked to Hau one more time as they reached their fists out to give each other a bump before reaching forward to the now open box, grasping their green wedges and the crystals next to them. They grinned, bumped each other's forearms against one another and then held their prizes into the air.

"All right," they cried aloud, their Pokémon gathering around them, "we got the Grassium-Z!"

"Pipikachu!"

"Merow!"

"Darroh!" The rest of Ash's team all joined in on the cheering, and even Rockruff's pokeball shook in triumph. Serena suddenly led the others in laughing in joy over their victory. Like the two rivals were synchronized, themselves, they reached down to place the green wedge in their amulets before then placing the Z-Crystal on their rings. Like always, the ring glowed, and then absorbed the crystal.

"Another trial down, then," Clemont stated, handing the egg off to Serena once more. "Guess that means it's back to Heahea City for the Ceremony, right?"

"That's right!" Serena said. She turned to look at Kiawe, a question clearly on her lips. "You said you'd be judging, right, Kiawe?"

"That's right," the boy answered. "After that, I'll reopen the trial. Though for now, I guess I'll help Mallow with hers."

"Looking forward to it, then," Ash said. Ready for the lot of them to set back off on their journey, Ash grabbed for his pokeballs and returned Passimian, Trumbeak and Dartrix. Hau appeared to have done the same for all but Pipi. "But get ready, 'cause we're gonna give you the hardest challenge you've ever had."

"So am I," Hau said, already facing towards the exit from the jungle. "But first, I'm gonna train Oranguru up with the rest of the ohana, and then we're off to Brooklet Hill. I've got a challenge to win, after all."

"Where do you plan to train?" Lillie asked before the boy could run off in his usual fashion. Said boy grinned back at her with a little wink.

"I'll be around," he answered. Pipi nodded, like she fully understood just where Hau was going with this. "I'll probably stop by Royal Avenue for some training. Met a really strong guy there a little bit back and want to see if I can win this time. Good luck, Ash, but I'll be winning!"

"Not a chance! You'll be planning that date for me in no time!" Ash yelled at him. Hau just waved his hands in farewell, racing off and yelling out "alola". Serena stepped forward, shaking her head.

"That boy never stops…"

"That's Hau," Lillie laughed out, dabbing at the sweat on her forehead. Now that Ash was finally calmed down from his trial, he realized that he was sweating profusely as well. Bonnie sidled up to Lillie and elbowed her.

"You're gonna miss him, aren't you, Lillie?" she smirked out. Ash backed up and grabbed ahold of her before either Clemont or Serena could say a word. "Maybe you should confess your-"

"And on that note, we'll be going," Ash chuckled out. "Take care, Mallow. Tell Lana that Kiawe is all that's left. We promised her that we'd tell her when I was going to battle Olivia."

"Will do," Mallow said, raising her hand in farewell. Ash started pushing Bonnie away from a mortified Lillie (though the girl still held her composure well under the pressure). With another wave, they came to the entrance of the jungle, finally ready to start the journey back to Heahea City. "Good luck in your Ceremony, Serena. Take care, Clemont, Bonnie, Lillie! Alola!"

"Alola!" Ash and the others called back before he picked up the pace, setting their sights for Heahea and the next step in Serena's goal.

* * *

The sounds of the jungle rushed back. With the absence of so many unfamiliar humans and the two Pokémon that had a natural rivalry with one another, it burst with color and life. Only two other presences remained in that humid, tropical forest. Kiawe folded his arms, and moved to sit upon a rock near the entrance to the Lush Jungle. Mallow continued to watch their friends leave, vanishing beyond eyesight and earshot.

"Well, there they go," she finally said. The smile faded from her face as she turned to face her friend and fellow captain. "I'm surprised in you, Kiawe. You really seemed impressed by the two of them. I mean, sure, they took me and Lurantis down faster and easier than most, even with me giving my all, but still."

"Hmm…" Kiawe hummed out. Now Mallow's lips turned down. She knew that expression; knew it all too well as the pensive expression Kiawe would wear, sometimes before battle or prayer. "Ash intrigues me…"

"Yeah, makes you wonder," she responded to him, tapping her chin in thought. News had always trickled from Melemele to them as though through a grapevine; in this case, Olivia was the one who had first heard and spoken about Ash and Hau, but apparently the Kahuna of Melemele, Hala, had spoken predominantly of the more foreign trainer. It all happened to be for one reason alone, the same reason Olivia had actually taken an interest in him. "Have you spoken with Miss Olivia recently?"

"Mm," Kiawe grunted out, reverting to his usual, and far less sociable, nature. "She asked me to keep an eye on Tapu Lele."

"That seems weird, even if it makes the most sense to ask you out of all of us," Mallow stated, still tapping her chin, only now at a more rapid pace. "Did she tell you why?"

"Not really. She just said that Kahuna Hala indicated that the Tapus might be disturbed. Something about Tapu Koko choosing a trainer."

"Like how Miss Olivia was?" Mallow asked. She couldn't stop the surprise from leaving her mouth. Kiawe shrugged his shoulders, like he genuinely didn't know the answers to her question. Mallow frowned a bit at that, but sloughed it off with a smile. "Maybe that trainer was Ash, and that's why…"

"If I had to guess, it seems likely," Kiawe admitted. Now things made sense to Mallow; Kiawe was interested because it was possible for Ash to have been chosen by the God of Conflict, itself. "But more than that…I heeded Olivia's words, and she was right. I think Tapu Lele has left her shrine."

"It has?" Mallow asked in shock. "But that's…Wasn't the last time that happened when Miss Olivia…?"

"I know," Kiawe said darkly, his face becoming almost overly serious. "Something is about to happen on the islands, and I'm pretty sure it involves Ash and his friends." He looked upward, sharing a glance with Mallow that was as electric as anything before, sending her spine tingling. "Call Lana. Tell her to definitely be ready when Ash completes my trial. I'll keep an eye out in the meantime, but we'll need those answers from Olivia, and I have a feeling she'll only fill us in when she confirms things for herself."

"Will do," Mallow answered. A sound of footsteps, like another trial-goer, reached her ears. Before she went to greet them, however, she leaned over and kissed Kiawe on the cheek. "But lighten up, okay? They're still friends, after all."

Leaving a blushing Kiawe behind, Mallow flounced over to greet her next challenge, the ominous warning of what was bubbling beneath Alola's waves ever present between the captains in the dense jungle air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Three trials down! This one was fun, no? The first trial to split itself into two chapters, focused on way more than just Ash, too. I hope this particular double battle for the Totem worked out for you. It wasn't quite so pulse-pounding, but there is a reason for that…to be elaborated on later. More than that, though, Ash and Hau have new Pokémon to their teams! That should be exciting, yes? Which also means that Ash's team is full right now, and so soon! I know that in the games you can't catch Pokémon during a trial, however, since in this story the trials are sealed unless you're taking them, that doesn't make as much sense. If you can get a Pokémon to join your team during the trial, more power to you. Hope that makes sense. Beyond that, things are brewing; Clemont's having problems and the captains of Akala fear for what may be going on with the Tapus. What does it all mean? Well, you'll have to find out as we head back for Heahea!
> 
> I hope the next chapters are as enjoyable as this one. So, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	22. A Premonition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy Chapter 22!

Chapter 22

A Premonition

The journey back to Heahea City from Lush Jungle seemed much shorter to Ash. Maybe it was because they weren't making so many stops on their way back to the city, or it could have been because it felt like they were going downhill. Either way, Ash appreciated the leisure of simply being able to walk and train as they went. Part of that included introducing Passimian to the rest of the group, most of which accepted him easily, especially Luxray and Greninja, who seemed to take a liking to him. Of course, Serena, in particular, seemed particularly fired up for her upcoming Ceremony…even if it was sometimes harder than she'd like to admit.

One night, after they had passed by Paniola Ranch to the right and what looked like an abandoned trailer park way far off to their left, Serena had stayed up until well after the sun set, practicing her different combinations with Popplio and Pancham. While the combinations with Sylveon and Braixen appeared to be going quite well, it seemed that Pancham's extra mobility wasn't as well suited to Popplio's own restricted movement on the stage.

"If we had some water, you'd be able to move around freely, but…" Serena commented. It was clearly a worrisome prospect for her, one that Ash watched her struggle with. Clemont and Rotom had zoned out that night completely, while the girls seemed to be watching Serena as they fell asleep.

"Maybe you should be more involved with Popplio," Ash suggested. Serena had turned to him, looking surprised at it. He laughed a bit, feeling embarrassed about telling her how to run her own routine, but she continued to look at him with interest. "Well, if Popplio can't move as freely, then maybe by putting yourself more into it, she can use your body as a means of launching moves and all that. You know, like how Talonflame supported Frogadier in my battle against Olympia."

"I guess you have a point…though it isn't very helpful for a battle…" Serena mused. Ash folded his arms at that point, thinking on how he could help her figure that issue out. It took her a couple minutes to think before she finally smiled, leaning forward to give Ash a kiss on the cheek without saying anything. The raven-haired trainer had to wonder whether she'd figured it all out or not, but considering that she didn't give him a response, he decided to let the issue go and get some sleep.

"She'll be fine, anyway…right, Pikachu?" Ash called, laying himself upon his sleeping bag. Pikachu mumbled in his state of rest, rolling over. Ash took that as a sign of agreement and decided to get some sleep, himself, that night.

By morning, Serena had a rather lively spring in her step, clutching Popplio happily in her arms as she led them along the path to Heahea City. She was even humming brightly as Popplio flapped her flippers joyously. Bonnie appeared to join in on the general mood, skipping forward alongside Serena. Lillie just hung back with Ash and Clemont.

"She seemed like she was thinking about it all night," Lillie told the two boys. From within the bag, Nebby popped his head out. It prompted Ash to look at him, to which he responded with a mischievous little smile. "I think she worked it out, though. Obviously, she didn't actually perform it, but I really can't wait to see it in action! Nebby, no."

"Pew…" Nebby sounded out, prepared to slink back into the bag at the girl's remonstrations. However, he ceased, looking around as he fidgeted about. Up ahead, Serena also stopped, turning and peering curiously into a forest. Ash pulled up, knitting his brow in confusion before he decided to follow her gaze.

"Something wrong?" he asked, after seeing nothing but trees.

"No…" Serena said, her lips twisting just a little. "Just thought I saw something in the forest for a moment."

"Probably Team Rocket," Bonnie said with a roll of her eyes. "You know they never stop following us."

"Perhaps Rotom should register them as Pokémon and track their movements!" Rotom said gleefully. Clemont appeared quite enthralled by this very notion.

"You could do that? !" the inventor asked, grabbing for Rotom. The Pokédex was unable to stop itself from being grabbed and Clemont tapped around on the screen with interest. Rotom cried out for Clemont to stop as Bonnie laughed. Ash just shook his head while Serena moved forward again, her back almost right in his face. Once more, Ash's eyes narrowed: for a second, it looked like her bag was glowing, but it ended just as soon as it had begun.

"Well, whatever it was, let's keep going!" Serena called. Popplio cried out happily as his girlfriend decided to pick up the pace down the dirt path. Ash shook his head, looking to Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Pika!" Pikachu called, raising his paw. With the two grinning at each other, Ash moved to catch up with his girlfriend.

After a couple hours and checking the map to make sure they were on track to Heahea City within the next couple days, the group decided to stop for lunch and relax by a small river. As soon as Ash and Clemont had set up the table, though, they all called out their Pokémon.

"All right, guys! Time for some training!" Ash called out to his assembled team before him. They each raised their fists (or wings) into the air in proclaiming their victories. "Right, Dartrix, we're going to work on improving the accuracy of Leafage to hit the target, instead of just surrounding it, with Pikachu. Trumbeak, we need to work on speed until you can keep up with Rockruff's Rock Polish, which, Rockruff…I have an idea for improving Rock Throw by utilizing it from below. Greninja, Passimian, I think you two would enjoy sparring with each other."

"Nin," Greninja nodded. Grinning with all of them, Ash stepped back to watch them all spar with each other in their groups. As they did so, Ash made sure to slide his eyes over to Serena, herself with her entire team out, practicing their usual Performance moves. She'd yet to do whatever she'd figured out with Popplio, but Ash figured she was working on it, especially with the way Popplio was hopping from bubble to bubble with Pancham.

Ash turned back to his Pokémon. Flitting his eyes between all of them, he saw Passimian and Greninja utilizing Double Team in an effort to clash with one another. To his surprise, Greninja appeared to be a very good teacher for the lemur, the two of them almost similar in move-sets. Greninja was a little faster, though, something that Passimian picked up on and appeared to emulate. Pikachu and Dartrix were also both going at it, and Ash could see the leaves from Leafage becoming sharper with every successive throw, almost looking akin to daggers. The ones struggling the most appeared to be Rockruff, whose formation of Rock Throw down below was proving tricky, while Trumbeak simply couldn't move fast enough.

"Kera…" Trumbeak chirped out, her face downcast. Ash walked over to pat her on her feathers.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he told her. Rockruff also came up to nuzzle her affectionately. "You're plenty fast already…Hmm…"

"Ash, lunchtime!" Clemont called. Ash looked up, his very brief thought broken as he patted Trumbeak one more time. She didn't dwell on things too long, moving to stop Dartrix and Chespin from eating everything. "You guys look better every day."

"Yeah, they're a real great group together," Ash noted. If he was honest, he would say that other than Passimian (who was still too new) they got along as well as his Kalos team. "Though we're always working to get stronger."

"You looked concerned about Trumbeak's speed," Lillie noted. Ash nodded, shoveling some food inside his mouth a little greedily. "Maybe you should help teach it something similar to Rock Polish. You know, raise its speed that way…"

"Hey, that's a pretty great idea!" Ash said, grinning at Lillie. Tapping his chin with his spoon, Ash started listing off all the different move ideas in his head before hitting on one. "Hey, Rotom, is it possible for Trumbeak to learn Flame Charge?"

"Let Rotom check…" Rotom stated, clearly flipping through its files. Trumbeak looked up from her food in interest, as though just as excited about learning the move. "Ding ding! Rotom can confirm that Trumbeak  _can_  learn Flame Charge!"

"Awesome! Let's get to it, Trumbeak!"

"Ash, your lunch…" Serena called out, but he was already well away with Trumbeak, his other Pokémon watching. He felt a little bad about ignoring her, but training was more important. It was the only way he'd become a better trainer, after all! The thought, however, made him pause. It was just a second, and he pushed it behind his mind for later.

"All right, Trumbeak, let's do this! Feel that fire of ambition burn deep inside you, and charge down steeply to pick up speed!" Ash called out. Trumbeak cried out and attempted it, managing to avoid hitting the ground, but certainly not bursting into flames the way that Talonflame did. Regardless, with each successive motion, Ash felt like they were getting a little closer. At the very least, Trumbeak was getting a little faster, with more mobility. "Well, I guess it'll be a longer process, but we'll keep going at it!"

"Turum!" Trumbeak cried, heaving a little from exhaustion, but clearly feeling better. Smiling at his Pokémon's seeming success, Ash turned his mind back to the lunch he had abandoned along with his friends.

"Sorry about that, but you know me," Ash laughed out, making his way to finish his lunch while Clemont and Serena had already finished theirs. Lillie was taking her time, and Bonnie had run over to Serena's bag to take her egg out.

"It's fine," Serena said, offering a smile. Regardless, it seemed just a little cold to him, as though she was disappointed. He shook his head, realizing it was just a figment of his imagination. There was no way Serena would be disappointed in him training, or even it not working out perfectly when he wanted it to; she knew the pains of that more than anyone. "Clemont, I was wondering if I could ask you for a battle?"

"M-me?" Clemont asked, clearly surprised by the notion. Ash was surprised as well. "What for?"

"I want to do some training against different types of opponents, especially with the battle segments, and since Ash's team looks a little tired from all their training, I figured you'd be the best to help me out with that," she said, smiling. Behind her, all of her Pokémon nodded.

"Then I'd be honored," Clemont stated humbly. Ash watched them walk off to a more open area of the field where Ash had been training just moments ago. "Let's go with Chespin! He's always interested in a performance style battle."

"Then I'll choose Popplio! We have to get our style down perfectly for the Heahea Ceremony!" Serena said positively. Popplio bounded forward, still moving slowly, but determinedly, across the grass.

"It's certainly a lot of fun being a Pokémon trainer, isn't it?" Lillie asked from next to him. She was dabbing at the corner of her lips with a napkin, surreptitiously patting at her stomach so others wouldn't see. Ash let out a low chuckle.

"It sure is," he said positively. "Nothing better than traveling with your friends and Pokémon…Living together, working together, growing together."

_But have you?_  Ash frowned for a moment, and he suddenly felt like the locket sitting against his chest was burning a hole there. It had been the momentary question he'd asked himself before. He'd come to Alola to see new things, meet new people and Pokémon, and grow through the trials. Yet all it seemed was that it was burning the same lessons into his head over and over again. Even the last trial battle had been easier than he'd hoped it would be. Was he truly  _growing_  anywhere? Even if everyone around him was taking strides…

"I wonder what it would be like, going on my own adventure with Pokémon," Lillie breathed out, stretching her legs a little upon the chair she was situated. "I mean, I have Nebby by my side but…"

"You still can. I mean, you kind of are with us," Ash noted. His gaze looked over a little to see Chespin send Pin Missile out at a stationary Popplio. Serena called for a Bubblebeam. The bubbles appeared to shoot out, hanging in the air and Popplio's tail slapped onto the ground. She flew up and landed strongly on one of the bubbles. Some of them popped from the collision of the Pin Missile, but otherwise, the Sea Lion Pokémon was hopping from bubble to bubble without a care in the world. Now Ash could see how Serena had ultimately worked out her problem. It gave Ash a sudden idea, as well, and he dug into his bag.

"I know, and I'm really glad to be going on this adventure with all of you," Lillie commented as Ash continued to dig into his bag. "I had a lot of fun during the trial, even if my hands hurt a little, heh…"

"You did?" Ash asked. He stopped for a moment to ask his question, witnessing a Disarming Voice at Chespin. Lillie nodded, an adorable smile on her face, like a little girl who'd just had her first adventure playing in the mud.

"I did!" she laughed out. "I know I said I didn't like Pokémon battles and all, and I still don't like the ones that are for nothing, but…the trial with Hau was simply so much fun, and your rivalry made it really enjoyable! I want to have an adventure with a Pokémon like that. I think it'd be very exciting. Don't you agree, Nebby?"

"Pew!" Nebby agreed, though his voice sounded somewhat distant. Ash paid it little mind, grabbing out the object he was searching for as Pikachu scampered up to the table. As his Pokémon watched him, he turned around and placed it squarely into Lillie's hands.

"What…?" the blonde asked, looking down at the pokeball now situated in her hands. Her fingertips ghosted over it, like she was wondering why it was there.

"It's a pokeball," Ash laughed out. "That way, if you ever want to catch a Pokémon, and go on a great adventure with it, you can."

"But Ash-"

"Just take it, Lillie!" Ash said, reaching over and patting the girl on the back. "It'll be awesome to see what kind of Pokémon you catch." Lillie appeared to almost be tearing up at the thought of it, pulling the pokeball close to her in relief and joy. Ash just smiled.

"Pi?" Pikachu's voice suddenly called his attention and Ash looked to see Pikachu, alert and almost battle-ready, staring off towards the line of trees near to their resting point. In fact, now that Ash thought about it, all of the Pokémon seemed suddenly and incredibly alert for a second. Wondering what was happening, Ash stood and directed his gaze upwards. For a second, or maybe even a fraction of one, the sky appeared to ripple. Then there was a light song, like three notes on the wind.

"What's that…?" Serena asked, padding forward on the grass. Bonnie was looking around as she and Rotom stopped whatever new argument they were having (likely about the egg).

"What's…what?" Clemont asked. It was almost like he hadn't heard the sound at all. Ash looked at him like he must have been deaf.

_Leleeeeeeee!_  The cry caused Ash to fall backwards, his Z-Ring feeling suddenly hot against his wrist. Lillie managed to catch him and pull him back upright, but the distraction appeared to be enough to miss whatever had happened. All he had seen was a flash of pink in the sky as the rippling faded. He did, however, notice that Serena was staring in the direction of the ripple.

"Serena…?" Clemont asked, walking over to her. She was still staring ahead, towards the sky, and Clemont was forced to shake her to bring her back to reality. "Serena, are you okay?"

"Ye-yeah!" Serena responded, shaking her head of whatever she'd seen. Ash peered at her as she turned, the two locking gazes for a moment. It had been strange…were they the only two to hear it? The only two to see it? Surely not, for the Pokémon had appeared to react, and more than that, the Pokémon in the forest were also reacting, a flock of Fletching flying away, utterly startled.

And it wasn't the only sound. There was a large crash from within the forest, like four bodies falling after being startled, though it was too far away to tell. Beyond that, though, was the sound of a familiar Pokémon crying out, followed by an equally familiar voice.

"Mele! Aki! Slow down, you two!" Ash and Lillie stood while all the others turned in the direction of the rather loud voice.

"Ori! Orrrri!" responded the girl's Pokémon and Ash couldn't help himself grinning in spite of knowing how embarrassing the arriving person could be. Sure enough, rising over the crest of one of the hills bordering the forest were two…well, at least one familiar Pokémon. The other looked familiar, in a sense, yet still very different.

"New form detected, bzzzt!" Rotom cried out, slapping one of Bonnie's hands away and flying over to said grouping of Pokémon. Their trainer had yet to cross the hill, giving them only a view of the Pokémon. "It's a Pa'u Style Oricorio, typing Psychic and Flying! Rotom has wanted to see one and catalog it!"

"Corrrio!" the one that appeared to be called a "Pa'u Style" cried. Ash looked in closer on it, noticing that it was certainly different from the yellow one holding pompoms, this one now pinkish in feathering with what looked like a white skirt of sorts. Finally, the huffing and puffing of their trainer could be heard.

"Slow down, you two…" she said, the familiar black hair of Maka finally coming into view. The girl placed her hands on her knees as she skidded to a stop near her two Oricorio. Serena's eyes appeared to light up and she stepped forward. Maka, too, finally looked up and saw Rotom. "Hey…isn't that the strange robot that was with…Serena!"

"Maka, alola," Serena called waving her hands at the younger girl. Maka grinned, placing her hands into their usual fashion, like she was framing Serena for just a second. Once she seemed done with that, she ran forward to take Serena's hands into her own.

"Wow, you're looking great!" Maka said enthusiastically, and rapidly. "And you caught that Popplio! I'm almost a little jealous. She looks like she was born to take part in Ceremonies!"

"I guess you could say that," Serena giggled out before looking right at Maka. The two separated their hands as Maka went back a little towards her two Oricorio. "Is that Aki, then?"

"That's right!" the black-haired girl announced, waving her hands out like some sort of game show host. "Now that I've been to Royal Avenue and gotten the Pink Nectar, Aki is now in her ultimate form! Right?"

"Cor!" Aki appeared to say proudly, puffing her chest a little. Maka grinned before she pulled her bag out and began to dig into it. Just as before, the girl's bag appeared to be a total clutter, little things like old wrappers falling out onto the ground. There even seemed to be a stale malasada that Chespin grabbed for, only to gag once he'd tasted it. Finally, after a minute, Maka appeared to find what she was looking for.

"And here it is!" the girl called, holding out both a tiny case and a sketchbook.

"You got a Lei!" Serena said, clapping her hands. "I'm guessing that it was the Hau'oli Lei?"

"That's totally right! And this is just a sketch of the perfect film crew," Maka said, displaying the pictures of the four Oricorio on the sheet. It wasn't the best drawn, but they appeared similar enough that Ash could see both Mele and Aki's likeness on the page. "We got to Akala a couple days ago, but the Heahea Ceremony isn't for another, what, day or two? So we decided to make a little side trip to Royal Avenue in order to prepare for it by getting the pink nec-"

"Now just hold up!" shouted a voice. Everyone in the area flinched rapidly except for Maka, who looked vaguely annoyed that she'd just been interrupted. He recognized  _that_  voice just as well. There was a loud crashing from within the forest as a tall and striking figure emerged, three others behind her, dressed in rather relaxed clothing. In fact, the woman was the only one of them that  _wasn't_  wearing casual clothes, instead wearing the dress she seemed to wear for Ceremonies.

"Hey Jess…ilie!" the short man called, picking at his brown hair. "Dis ain't a good idea!"

"We should listen to him Jessilie," the blue-haired man said, gripping onto a Wobbuffet. Ash shook his head.

"Jessilie?" Lillie whispered out next to him. He watched the magenta-haired Performer stride forward with purpose to approach the two rivals. Like always, she was as boisterous and foul-tempered as ever. Now that he thought about it, though, her emerging from the forest, like she'd been spying, felt eerily reminiscent of others he knew.

"She's Serena's rival," Ash told her with a light chuckle. "She actually made semifinalist in the Master Class in Kalos. I think she's pretty full of herself sometimes, but Serena seems to genuinely like competing with her."

"I can tell," Lillie noted, still clutching tightly to the pokeball.

"Jessilie! What a surprise," Serena was saying, proving Lillie's observation and Ash's statement absolutely correct. "I didn't know you were on Akala! Are you taking part in the Heahea Ceremony? Have you won any Leis?"

"Erk…" Jessilie appeared completely taken aback by the kindness that Serena was showing. She seemed so floored that she didn't have a response, appropriate or otherwise. Eventually, though, she flicked her hair. "Of course I'm competing! And my fan club will be supporting me the whole way!"

"You have a fan club?" Maka sounded surprised. So did Jessilie, gritting her teeth angrily.

"Of course," the blue-haired man said, walking forth as he rubbed his hands. His eyes flicked over to Pikachu, who tilted his head a little. "My name is Jameson, chairman of the Jessilie Fan Club."

"Wow, that's impressive, lady," Maka said, grinning. "I'm just getting started on my own little film crew here, but once I beat Serena, she's going to become my lead actress."

"I don't remember really agreeing to that," Serena laughed out. "Besides, I don't think anyone could own the camera the way Jessilie can."

"W-well…that's…" Jessilie looked even more astonished, her mouth flopping open and shut like a Magikarp's. Eventually, though, her lips twisted a little. "Look, no buttering me up, all right!"

"Yeah, you do dat well enough on your-ow!" The other member of Jessilie's fan club seemed to get kicked by the heel of her shoe suddenly.

"Look, you can say all the words you want, but I won't be losing to a pair of girls like you in the Heahea Ceremony," Jessilie snapped. She reached under her dress and somehow managed to pull out a pokeball, opening it. From within, a Stufful emerged, pawing at the ground. "Me and my adorable Stufful will be taking first prize, ahahahaha!"

"And we of the Jessilie Fan Club will be supporting her every step of the way!" Jameson appeared to take out some whistles and drums, celebrating the woman's appearance with every single turn. Maka peered at her, like she was considering something about her. Then she raised her fingers, framing her in the same way she would with Serena.

"Yeah…I could see you working on the big screen…but it's also how you look with your Pokémon, too," the younger girl commented. "I mean, I can't just cast an actress that doesn't share equal time with her Pokémon. It would make the film completely pointless." Ash wanted to scoff a little; Jessilie never seemed the best at actually _sharing_  with her Pokémon.

"Oh, I know!" Serena finally said, snapping her fingers with a wink. "Since we're all here, what do the three of you say to a little practice battle? Jessilie can show what she's made of, and it'll make a great opportunity to get ready."

"Fine," Jessilie said, once more flicking her hair. "I'll be able to show you how ahead of you two I am, after all."

"Uh, Jessilie, maybe this isn't the best idea…" Jameson said. "I mean we have to-"

"Oh, enough complaining. I need to show this girl what a stunning beauty I am. The Heahea Ceremony will be waiting for me anyway," Jessilie said before throwing her head back and laughing. Ash breathed out, wanting to laugh a little when he heard a small disturbance next to him. Turning his attention away from the trio of females, Ash noticed that Lillie was clutching at her bag, searching through it frantically.

"Everything all right, Lillie?" Ash asked, concerned by the girl's sudden behavior.

She turned to him, eyes wide, and suddenly whispered, "I can't find Nebby…"

Ash paled. That certainly wasn't a good thing. Not that Nebby didn't always have his habit of getting out of the bag, but the fact of the matter simply was that he usually didn't actually leave them. Pikachu appeared to have heard what happened, because Ash caught him sniffing the air while the two of them looked around.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called, pointing towards the forest. Ash squinted in its direction and seemed to see the puffy shape entering the trees. Looking back over to the group that was partially comprised of his girlfriend, Ash was surprised to see that the three females really were prepared to face off, Maka using Mele while Jessilie and Serena faced each other with Stufful and Popplio respectively. Clemont and Bonnie, on the other hand, were standing awkwardly by Jameson and his companions, the three of them looking on edge.

"Let's go get him," Ash said, grabbing ahold of Lillie and wheeling her towards the forest.

"But…what about Serena?" Lillie hissed out in her whisper. Ash just patted her on the back.

"Don't worry about it. She'll understand," Ash said. Pikachu jumped forward, leading the way towards the forest. Lillie clutched at her bag, keeping it close as the two broke into the forest. Ash turned, briefly noting that the girls had already started their battle. He clenched his fist for Serena but put his attention back on what was important.

Pikachu kept dashing his way through the trees, following the path that his nose was setting for him, carefully. Occasionally, he would stop, but usually regained his bearings seconds later. Lillie grabbed onto Ash's vest to make sure she didn't get lost as they ran along. He realized they were moving pretty far in, the cries of Pokémon becoming denser and the sounds of battle lost to them. Finally, though, after a few minutes of winding, Ash heard the telltale "pew" that could only come from Nebby. He shook his head, walking up to the little puff cloud that was stopped before what looked like a mound of dirt in the dark forest.

"Nebby, there you are!" Lillie snapped. Nebby appeared to flinch a little, along with sweating (if it could, in fact, sweat). Then he turned with the most innocent grin he could muster on his face. Lillie wasn't fooled. "You can't wander off like that. Remember what happened back in Iki Town?"

"P-pew…"

"Now, back in the bag!" Lillie said, pointing towards the bag furiously. Nebby looked a little torn between obeying her orders and doing whatever he wanted to do. Ash figured it would end in a likely long stalemate between the two forces. Or he thought so, if it wasn't for the mound moving, standing up and looking down at them. Even then, Ash still wouldn't have thought anything of it.

Then the Pokémon before them screeched loudly and chopped down a tree with its bare hands.

* * *

Serena's breathing was even, steady. Facing across from Jessilie, her long-time rival, and Maka, who appeared to be her biggest fan for whatever reason, Serena found herself feeling no trepidation whatsoever. It felt normal. Calm. She smiled down at Popplio.

"Ready?" she asked. Popplio slapped her flippers together. "Bonnie, make sure you take care of the egg, okay?"

"Will do, Serena!"

"Dede!" Serena let out another light breath at that, looking up. It would be the most difficult kind of battle to deal with: a three-way fight where anything would go. Serena reached up to adjust her hat a little, briefly touching the ribbon on her wrist.

"Let's try to make this as Ceremony-oriented as possible, okay?" Serena called to the other two. Jessilie smirked, as if saying she'd have no problem with that, her Stufful pawing at the ground. At the same time, Maka pumped her fists, Mele brimming with electricity in front of her. "Then, let's begin!"

"Stufful, use Baby Doll Eyes!" Jessilie laughed out, placing her hand under her chin. Stufful's eyes changed, almost looking sad and innocent. Pink sparkles blasted out from the single look, definitely one that had been adapted to be visible for a Ceremony. Mele appeared affected by it, but Serena quickly thought of a counter.

"Popplio, Disarming Voice!" she said, raising her hand to the air as she did it. Battles felt so different from performances to her. She couldn't intervene, but only watch as her Pokémon acted based on her commands. It really made her understand just how Ash could feel in some of his own battles. Popplio reared back a little.

"Liooooooo!" Popplio cried. The pink heart-shaped cry flew from Popplio's mouth, impacting with the glitter and exploding. It worked just as Serena had anticipated, making her own attack look all the more beautiful with the pink dust.

"We can't let the twe…Serena do that!" Jessilie said, almost like she was correcting herself. "Use your Hidden Power!"

"Stuff…ul!" Stufful cried, almost like it was sneezing. Yet from there came the bright silver orb that Serena was so used to commanding in those moments. It flew across the field just as Stufful began to charge across it. Jessilie was almost laughing giddily, especially when Stufful reached the Hidden Power.

"Get ready, Popplio," Serena called. Popplio hunkered down, prepared to intercept the attack fully…only that wasn't Jessilie's plan. Instead, she seemed to order for Stufful to hit its own Hidden Power with a Low Sweep. Serena turned her head and realized that, instead, Stufful was aiming the Hidden Power for Mele, who appeared to be attempting to use Captivate.

"Ah, use your pompoms to push yourself off the ground!" Maka ordered. Mele flipped forward and tried to leap out of the way, only for the now spinning silver orb to slam into him. Serena saw it as the chance to quickly strike.

"Use Bubblebeam!"

"Pahpah!" Popplio cried, practically jumping forward to create the giant stream of bubbles that hung in the air. Popplio turned back, as if asking for the permission to strike forward. Serena nodded, only for Maka to intervene.

"Hey, don't count us as the lowest! We can contribute, too!" the girl cried jubilantly, framing the entire scene like she seemed to do with everything. "What a battle scene…now let's add some rain. Use Air Cutter!"

"Orrrri!" Mele cried out. He flipped, sending out the rotors made of air straight from his pompoms. Before Popplio could even begin to leap forward, they had slammed through the bubbles, popping them and turning them into nothing but falling water. One of them broke through completely, striking Popplio. At the same unfortunate moment, Jessilie's Stufful had closed the gap as well.

"Low Sweep!" she called out with as much chewing of the scene as possible. She clearly believed she must have been in auditions for the part of an actress, and Stufful was along for the ride. The Pokémon reached Popplio and suddenly kicked against her. As the Sea Lion Pokémon fell back, Stufful aimed another Hidden Power that struck, scattering silver dust all over Popplio's figure. Serena felt her fist clench as her Pokémon flipped forward.

"Now Popplio! Let's make it quick! Bubblebeam!" Serena thrust her hand forward with her command. Popplio wasted little time, spinning around as quickly as she could. Bubbles followed from her attack and her tail slammed on the ground, carrying her upward onto one of the bubbles. She began to bounce forward.

"That's a cool strategy…" Maka commented, a grin on her face. Mele looked back to her, as if awaiting some kind of confirmation. "Let's make it work for us, too! Revelation Dance!"

"Oricorio!" Mele cried, rustling his pompoms together. The electricity began to gather and then danced across the battlefield, drawn to the water in the bubbles. Popplio was stuck, and the shock ripped across her. Popplio fell towards the grass.

"Don't worry, Popplio! Just use Bubblebeam!" Serena called out. Attempting to flip over in midair, Popplio sent a powerful stream of bubbles right for Mele. She looked ragged as she did so, but the stream impacted at a high speed with the bird. "Now, Disarming Voice!"

"Popah!" Popplio cried. The hearts she fired merged with the stream of bubbles, turning the water heart shaped as it cut through to land a second hit upon Mele. Unfortunately, Popplio wasn't so lucky, for Jessilie called out her own next command. Like before, Stufful suddenly showed up in front of Popplio.

"Low Sweep," Jessilie ordered, throwing off various poses as though  _she_  was the one being watched. Serena wasn't concerned with that; she was concerned with Popplio hitting the ground from Stufful's surprising attack in the air.

"Popplio!" she called, wanting to step straight on the battlefield. Stufful landed back near Jessilie, pawing at the ground once more, having not even taken a scratch of damage, really. Popplio attempted to get up, brief flecks of blue flying around her body. For all of Jessilie's posturing and posing, the woman knew how to work a field in so many different ways. It made Serena wonder what her dream could have been…how it had gotten her that far…If her own dream could be made that reality when she couldn't even protect the Pokémon she loved.

"Pah! Pah!" Popplio cried, still straining. Serena's nails dug into her hand. Stufful appeared to gaze at Popplio with minor indifference while Popplio glared at it. Maka had stopped attacking, as though unsure of what was going on (or she was framing the scene, Serena couldn't be sure).

"Sorry, but your Popplio is second-rate it seems!"

"Our Jessilie fights like a dream!" Jameson cheered on, only for Bonnie to kick him in the leg without thinking. Serena's heart was racing now, her breath no longer even. So she stopped. She unclenched her fist and returned her breathing to normal. Popplio seemed to understand this, for she managed to push up bit by bit, a spark of confidence to her eyes.

"Lio!" Popplio shouted once. Stufful tilted its head…and was then blasted back by a sudden torrent of water. Serena blinked, surprised at the speed Popplio had moved at, surrounded by the veil of water.

"Popplio…you learned Aqua Jet…" Serena breathed. Only, she wasn't stopping there. It was like her will to become a mobile performer was suddenly manifesting itself. Her whole body suddenly glowed blue within the water, blasting out at every angle while she returned to the center of the field. Once she had, the water burst out, revealing a changed form: no longer dark blue, but light; no longer floppy ears but ones that seemed to stand on end. She looked like a ballerina almost, or at least one in a tutu.

"Brionne," Rotom suddenly intervened. "It is the evolved form of Popplio! It cares deeply for its trainer, and will perform a dance to cheer them up."

"That must have been why Popplio evolved," Clemont noted. "She could feel Serena's struggle and wanted to help, turning those feelings into fuel for evolution."

"Well, that's not fair!" Jessilie nearly shrieked. "Stufful, you should evolve right now, too!"

"Stuh…?" Stufful questioned. Maka was clapping her hands, and in some sense, Serena felt like it had been a conclusion to the battle. Brionne turned to face her, a great smile upon her face.

"You did that…for me?" Serena asked. She reached forward and touched her now-evolved Pokémon's head, petting it softly.

"Brio…" Brionne cooed out happily. She felt so warm underneath Serena's touch, and the honey blonde couldn't help the giggle from bubbling out so cheerfully. She began to laugh in cheer, as did Brionne next to her. There was the sound of footsteps behind her and Serena saw her Pokémon all approaching.

"Braixen brai!" her first Pokémon stated, greeting Brionne happily. Brionne returned all of their affections happily. Serena whipped around, wanting to show off Popplio's evolution to both Ash and Lillie…only they were nowhere to be found. Brionne tilted her head, as if wondering just what was on Serena's mind as she looked around. The rest of his Pokémon were there, except for Pikachu, but her boyfriend and Lillie had mysteriously vanished.

"Clemont, have you seen Ash?" she asked, standing up. Clemont looked around wildly, as though he had an answer.

"Wasn't he…huh…?" Clearly, Clemont had had the same exact reaction of wonderment. Bonnie, too, seemed confused, while Jessilie continued to order a very confused Stufful to evolve. In the midst of their confusion, standing around, Serena felt a tap on her shoulder from none other than Maka.

"Hey, congrats, Serena," she said, pulling the attention away from the missing duo a moment. "Brionne looks really happy."

"Oh…oh yeah," Serena said, reaching down once more to pat the Pop Star Pokémon on the head. Brionne slapped her flippers together slightly in joy. "I just wish that Ash could have seen it happen…"

"Uh…isn't that him, right there?" Maka pointed out. Serena followed her outstretched finger towards the row of forest that Jessilie and her fan club had come from earlier. At her words, everyone turned and saw Ash running out of forest, dragging Lillie behind him.

"Ash! Where have you been?" Serena asked worriedly.

"No time to talk, Serena! It's after us!" Ash screamed. Lillie was screaming as well, though hers was more of a consistent "ahhhh!" sound rather than any sort of explanation. None was needed, though, considering the explanation was charging through the forest, chopping down trees as it went along with a high pitched squeal. "Tried to stop it with Pikachu, but that thing's a force of nature, and I think it's angry!"

"It certainly looks it," Clemont noted. All of the inventor's Pokémon moved to the fore, ready to protect against what looked like an enormous stuffed bear. Serena looked to Brionne and the two nodded, prepared to fight.

"It is a Bewear, the evolved form of Stufful," Rotom pointed out to them, showing a picture of the two Pokémon on its screen. "This immensely dangerous Pokémon possesses overwhelming physical strength. Its habitat is generally off-limits."

"Would have been nice to have known that sooner!" Ash yelled. He finally skidded to a stop, letting Lillie run past him as she was surrounded by his entire team. "All right, now we don't have to worry about falling trees!"

"And we'll help out!" Serena said. The Bewear was still charging straight at them, flailing its arms madly, like it practically wanted to rip their heads off. Jessilie looked the most shocked out of them all.

"Wait…Stufful evolves into  _that_? !" she asked in shock. Her fan club was running for her, practically grabbing her while she seemed to protest something. "Stufful, ixnay on the evolution! No evolving!"

"Brionne, use Aqua Jet!" Serena cried, paying little attention to Jessilie and her oddities.

"You use Air Cutter at its feet, Mele!" Maka said. The two Pokémon leapt into action and Serena watched Ash give a double take at the sight of Brionne, surrounded by water. She sped forward, easily moving across the field until she slammed into the Bewear. Its squealing stopped, but its eyes looked no less rageful.

"Time to get moving, Jessilie!"

"Can't have you gettin' killed before your next Ceremony debut!"

"Wobbuffet!" Serena turned her head, watching as Jessilie flailed against her fan club, unable to stop them from dragging her off over the horizon, away from the Bewear, who had now stumbled from the Air Cutter attack.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called, punching forward. Pikachu charged up his electricity and let it fly just as Brionne bounded back and out of the way. The Bewear was hit and convulsed from the strike, like it was going to shut down. That quickly proved to not be the case as its eyes flashed dangerously, like a wounded beast. In fact, Serena narrowed her eyes at its expression.

"Guys, I think we should focus on containing it, not taking it down," she said sternly. It was her turn to point at the Pokémon, noticing a stitched-up gash in its side.

"Got it!" Maka said. She had abandoned any pretense of framing it like some sort of filmed battle, tying her hair up with the familiar red ribbon. "Mele, Captivate!"

"Orri!" Mele cried, shaking his pompoms, as if hoping for the attack to work. It didn't.

"Gah, must be a male Bewear!"

"Then we're on it, use Iron Tail on its legs. Rockruff, use Rock Polish and keep it in place," Ash called. Serena could see him grinning, like he was truly back in his element amongst all of this. Pikachu and Rockruff ran straight for the madly flailing Bewear. Pikachu's brightly lit tail struck, causing Bewear to stumble a bit. Serena watch as it tried to move and strike in another direction, but Rockruff had headed it off.

"Braixen, Flamethrower!" Serena cried. Braixen twirled her branch around and sent the jet of fire soaring out for their target. Just before it made impact, Serena suddenly remembered Team Rocket's Stufful (which caused a small inkling of knowledge that she pushed away) and how the Fire type attack had seemed to cause it so much pain. A plan instantly formed in her mind.

"Keeeeeeee!" Bewear screeched, its fluffing suddenly lit on fire. It continued to flail its arm and Serena paid attention to the stitching, hoping it wouldn't set itself alight.

"Brionne, Bubblebeam, quick!" Serena called. From Brionne's nose, the bubbles exploded out, impacting with Bewear and leaving it drenched. The fire was put out, and the Strong Arm Pokémon began to sag. "Now, Clemont!"

"On it! Chespin, hold it with Vine Whip, and Grubbin, wrap it up with String Shot!" Clemont's Pokémon moved on command as Bonnie cheered her brother on wildly. The vines from Chespin quickly grabbed ahold of Bewear's legs as Grubbin got to work, wrapping up its arms and legs with a binding String Shot that made it collapse to the ground. It continued to writhe, screeching, but unable to make a move.

"Sylveon, can you help?" Serena asked of her Fairy type. Sylveon nodded and she pranced forward, soon wrapping her feelers kindly around Bewear. He continued to twitch angrily as Sylveon spoke with him until, at last, the Bewear calmed down. Next to Serena, Maka breathed out in relief while Ash and Clemont made moves to approach Bewear calmly.

"What exactly happened?" the inventor asked of him as they all approached.

"Uh, we were looking for Nebby and…this guy just attacked," Ash explained, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, we didn't mean to bother him."

"I don't think you did," Serena pointed out. Ash grinned at her slightly apologetically before his and Pikachu's eyes looked towards Brionne. "Oh, Popplio evolved!"

"Wow, that's great!" Ash said. Brionne appeared to agree with him by rapidly slapping her flippers together.

"What's not great is this wound," Clemont said. "Bonnie, can you get me a Potion?"

"On it!" the sibling responded, dashing off towards Clemont's bag. He pulled off the string and looked to the large gash in Bewear's side. It looked like it was a healing scar, but still a painful one. Bonnie quickly returned with the Potion, allowing Clemont to spray the wound. Bewear seemed to groan out appreciatively.

"You should be good to go, if you take it easy and don't attack people," Clemont told him, patting the Pokémon on its side. Bewear sat up, blinking its eyes. It still seemed to wince in pain a little, but eventually got up, turning back to the forest from whence it came. As it turned, Serena caught sight of something on its backside, like a disturbance in its fur. She wasn't the only one, as Clemont was staring at it with distraction. It seemed almost like a strange mark of a trident surrounded by ovular shapes. However, they didn't get a very good look at it before Bewear had slunk away.

"Whew!" Maka expressed, dropping onto her butt. "Well, that was a lot of excitement for a day."

"Really?" Bonnie questioned. "This is like every day for us."

"Sometimes I wish it wasn't…" Lillie expressed. Serena turned to her, seeing the blonde glaring harshly at her bag. Nebby definitely seemed to be the cause of the problem they'd just had. However, Serena's mind instantly attributed it to something else: the ripple in the sky, and the pink Pokémon she'd seen fly overhead for little more than a second.

"Sounds exhausting…" Maka said. She retied her hair with her ribbon, and then looked up to grin at them. "I just want to do my Ceremonies, ha ha."

"So do I," Serena admitted, her face slipping itself up into a smile, despite her heart telling her otherwise. Worry was settling in. Worry over the attack they'd just encountered. Worry over the upcoming Ceremony. She reached up and slapped her cheeks. "Say, Maka, would you like to come along with us? To Heahea?"

"Hmm?" the girl questioned for a second, like she didn't quite understand. That didn't last long. "Oh, sure! We're both heading to the same place anyway, and then you and I can plan out some awesome roles for you!"

"Yeah…okay…" Serena laughed out. The girl seemed back to normal, jumping up excitedly and talking about different things. Her fingers were moving back into a framing position as she looked at both Serena and Ash before jotting things down on her sketchbook. Ash seemed to indulge her, and Bonnie was little help in stopping her.

Serena felt perfectly fine with that. Maka proved herself to be an entertaining and friendly person on the road back to Heahea City. Yet even with that, uncertainty settled back into Serena's mind, and she had a feeling it was the same for all those around her, if Ash's momentary falters and Clemont's contemplative expressions were anything to go by.

Even the beat of their feet against the dirt road they were walking did nothing to take the thoughts out of their minds. Serena just had to constantly remind herself of how hard she was working and how hard her Pokémon had fought for her, evolved for her. It gave her courage on that road; the idolization from Maka didn't hurt matters. At last, however, after another day or two of traveling, when the dew was settling on the palm trees in the early morning of the Heahea Ceremony, they at last arrived back at the illustrious tourist city, determination in their hearts…but a dangerous foreboding on each of their minds…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter was very much like a transition chapter, all things considered. However, while it was much slower than many of the preceding chapters (and much shorter!) it was no less important. Popplio has evolved into Brionne, we've met the lovely Maka again, Jessie is hamming it up as usual and Nebby causes problems. Plus, each of our heroes but Bonnie has something on their mind. Then there are those other things…the flash of pink, the ornery Bewear with the wound and the strange markings. What is this foreboding settling in? Well, guess you'll have to wait and see!
> 
> We're drawing close to the end of this first installment, and I've appreciated all of the words you've given me. So, before we meet again, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	23. A Movement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish there was something I could give other than gratitude. This has become my most popular story by far! Let's continue to have it grow! But now, Chapter 23!

Chapter 23

A Movement

The first thing Ash noticed upon the group's arrival back into Heahea City that bright, sunny morning, was how positively busy it seemed. Tourists and civilians lined the streets, approaching shops and stalls of all natures. Some were dressed to fit the city, while others were clearly tourists out for the day. The number one fact, however, was the impression that the Heahea Ceremony appeared to be a big thing.

"Certainly lots of people," Maka said, skipping ahead of their group as she peered down the streets. Her gaze was obviously drawn towards the hotel, where the Ceremony would be taking place. "I wonder if they're going to televise the event…"

"They do that?" Serena asked. Ash looked back to her, noticing that her egg was now back in her arms, sending little snowflakes onto her skin. "I mean, I thought they did, but only for smaller towns."

"Well, sure," Maka told her. She was reaching up again, adjusting her hair with her ribbon, this time making it into a bun. "Melemele is small, so they don't really advertise the Ceremonies, but when you get to islands as big as Akala, it's kind of inevitable. It's how I found out about it, seeing the Hope Leilani one year…It was magnificent."

"Seems like you've wanted to take part in this since you were a little girl, then," Clemont noted to the girl. Ash realized that Maka had gone practically starry eyed, like she was lost in the memory of it. Ash didn't blame her; all too often he'd remember the battles he'd witnessed on live television, making him want to go on that journey. A grimace flashed over his face as he pushed down the question still bubbling its way up.

"I have! I mean, my passion has always been filmmaking, especially being in a small place like Melemele, but seeing that made me realize there are so many ways to film things," Maka told them, her tone wistful and almost romantic. "I want to produce an amazing film, and when people see me…well, a backup is always producing the television project for the Hope Leilani. That would be  _amazing_."

"It sounds rather amazing," Lillie told the girl, herself enthused with the concept of the Ceremony. That was no surprise, either. Lillie had always seemed interested in that particular world.

"Totally is…but if I'm gonna do it, I still need to beat Serena, or at least get close enough to her, so it's off to pre-production for me!" Maka claimed. With a wave to them all, the girl turned on her heels and began running off towards the Tide Song Hotel with nary another word. Serena quickly waved back, as did they all, but Maka was clearly too fast on her feet to see the farewell.

"I guess I should get some training in, too," Serena said, hitching her bag just a little on her shoulders. Ash nodded; he had full confidence that Serena would win this one, but just like his Gym battles in the past, as well as his trials, it was still important to get in that extra bit of training.

"Perhaps we should pay a visit to the Pokémon Center, then," Clemont suggested amicably. "That way we can all get our Pokémon checked over and you can be sure you're ready for the Ceremony."

"Sounds like a good idea," Serena accepted, turning in the direction of the Center. Ash looked to Pikachu. He had been looking a little tired from all of their own training, confirming that a little checkup before the Ceremony wouldn't be the worst of things.

"In the meantime, since Dedenne is as fit as ever," Bonnie suggested, twirling around a bit, "why don't Lillie and I go reserve some seats?"

"Can Bonnie really do that?" Rotom snickered out. Dedenne seemed to answer the snark with a Nuzzle. Bonnie just smirked at the Pokédex, grabbing ahold of Lillie's hand.

"Of course we can," she said, beginning to drag her fellow blonde off without another word. "If this thing is as big as Maka said it was, then we should get all our seats for our big group as soon as possible. Maybe we'll even run into Kiawe again!"

"You two just be careful," Clemont called. Ash looked to his inventor friend, noticing that he was surprisingly calm, given Bonnie and Lillie were going off to be all alone in the big city. To that, he grinned; clearly Bonnie's time mastering Parabolic Charge was quite the positive one in the eyes of her brother.

"We will! Come on, Lillie!" Bonnie insisted. Lillie tamped her hat down with one hand, but allowed herself to be dragged off, making sure to shoot the very sneaky Nebby a rather scathing glare. Ash had to chuckle at that one before his hand was slipped into a smiling Serena's.

"Shall we?" she asked, as though she was asking for a dance. Ash grinned at her, making sure Pikachu was firmly on his shoulder before the three friends set off for the Pokémon Center. Just as they had observed upon entering the city, the entire place was buzzing and alive with all manner of activity. Maybe it was because they were entering from a different part of the city, but Ash figured it had far more to do with the upcoming Ceremony drawing crowds of natives and tourists alike. Some were flitting in and out of clothing stores or restaurants, including one that was run by someone who looked like a male version of Mallow. People walked through the streets with bags of malasadas and Wingull chirped along the beachfront.

The most peculiar of all the people gathered were those in white uniforms outside what looked like a lab. They all had phones out, or some other kind of data gathering instrument in their hands, as they appeared to run through diagnostics, some of them going in and out. Ash ignored them, even as people took pictures of them. He did smile at one of them leaning down to pet a small Growlithe with a little girl.

As Ash looked up, he thought he saw someone walking down a side street, looking very extraordinarily like Gladion. For a moment, he thought of taking the turn to look, but chose against it in favor of keeping on with Serena and Clemont. Although, he was also certain he saw Cynthia somewhere with another seemingly familiar face on the beach; they were just lost in the crowd there, making Ash unsure. Before long, the three had arrived at their destination, checking in their Pokémon with Nurse Joy.

"We'll have them checked up in a flash," she said, bowing to them. They thanked her, and walked over to the small café in the Center. Like the rest of the city, the café was bustling with people as well.

"Judging from Melemele, I never thought that Ceremonies were as big as all this," Serena commented once the three of them were sipping on some pinap juice. "I mean, they were so small…"

"True, but we should have guessed at it," Clemont noted, sipping his very carefully. He looked a little lost in thought, as though trying to remember something. "I mean, Maka telling us that winning the Hope Leilani was the first step to her dream of everyone seeing her films was kind of obvious…but I'm more interested in that group of people outside the Dimensional Research Lab."

"What's that?" Ash asked, slightly interested.

"Ah, I don't know much about it," the inventor admitted, "but when I was looking through the brochures on Heahea City when we were here before, I noticed it mentioned as being a place you have to visit at least once. It's run by a Professor Burnet, and she seems to study all kinds of dimensional rifts."

"Like…like the ones that involved Zinnia…and DARC?" Ash knew he probably shouldn't have brought it up, not from the way both himself and Serena stiffened from even saying the words aloud. Clemont, however, shook his head.

"I've no idea," he responded. "Maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if the League has contacted her, but that's beside the point. I just know about it from reading, and didn't think it important before…but those people out front look so familiar. I just can't place it…"

"Ash, Serena, Clemont, your Pokémon are all ready," Nurse Joy's voice called. Ash quickly downed the rest of his juice, popping off of his chair to stride over to the gurney that Blissey and Comfey appeared to be rolling out.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called, waving upwards. Ash grinned and allowed his best buddy to jump onto his shoulders gleefully. "Chupika!"

"Glad to see you're all doing well," Ash laughed out. He reached forward to take his other pokeballs along with his companions. As he reached Rockruff's pokeball, it suddenly burst with light, the Puppy Pokémon emerging with a slight yip. "What's up, Rockruff?"

"Ruff!" Rockruff barked happily. She waved her tail and then dashed off for the exit to the Pokémon Center.

"Rockruff, wait up! Ah, thanks Nurse Joy! Alola," Ash responded before running after Rockruff. While he ran, he affixed his pokeballs to his belt once more. The other two were quickly behind him as the doors slid open and Ash ran after Rockruff into the street. As she leapt into the air, Ash finally understood why she'd taken off so suddenly.

"Whoa there!" cried the voice of Professor Kukui. Ash stopped at the sight of the man, collapsed onto the ground with Rockruff licking his face with abandon. "That you, Rockruff? You've grown so strong! And if you're here…alola, cousin."

"Hey, professor," Ash said, waving his hands in greeting. Serena and Clemont finished running behind him, issuing their own greetings to the splayed professor. Rockruff barked once again and leapt off of Kukui, returning to Ash's side with a gleeful expression. "It's good to see you again."

"And you," Kukui laughed out. He sat up, but didn't proceed to stand quite yet. "Still in Heahea City, or…?"

"Nah, we've been to Brooklet Hill and Lush Jungle," Ash informed the older man. Kukui raised an eyebrow, yet he didn't look surprised in the least, almost like he'd very much expected it. "We came back for Serena's Ceremony."

"Exciting stuff, then," Kukui chuckled out, his look now focusing on Serena. "I'll be attending, too. Then I've got some other exciting stuff on Akala."

"Like what?" Kukui opened his mouth. However, Clemont's question went unanswered.

"Honey, who are these kids?" Ash blinked at the statement. He looked up, suddenly seeing a woman there, her white hair standing out amongst her tanned skin. But more importantly, it had been the words she'd uttered:  _honey_.

"Ah, it's those kids from another region I was talking about," Kukui answered the woman. While he did so, she held her hand out to help pull him up. It was at this moment, finally moving his gaze away from the ground, that he realized Kukui really wasn't alone. With him were three people: the woman who had helped him up, a ring similar to Kukui's glistening on her finger, a blonde woman wearing elegant clothing and a balding man in a lab coat. The sound of pokeballs dropping sounded out behind him.

"Ohhhh…Ash, Serena and Clemont, right?" the woman holding on to Kukui said. "I thought you said there were four of them, honey."

"Hm, I did…where's Bonnie, you three?" Kukui asked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. Serena quickly answered before Ash had the chance to, causing Kukui to nod. "Right, where are my manners? You three, I'd like you to meet my equal in the field and in life, Burnet."

"Oh, sweetie, you always flatter me," Burnet said, slapping Kukui on the shoulder. The professor grabbed her and pulled her in tightly. Inside, Ash blanched before he looked over to Serena. Did  _they_  act that way? He certainly hoped not, because it looked utterly mortifying and embarrassing to be around. "But yes, it's wonderful to meet you three. As my adorable husband said, I'm Burnet, lead professor of the Dimensional Research Lab."

"Oh, Clemont was just talking about you," Serena noted. Ash nodded, deciding to face back at his inventor friend. However, when both he and Serena did so, the inventor was pointing forward, mouth stammering wildly, like he saw something he never expected.

"Y-y-y-you…" he stammered out. Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder to grab Clemont's pokeballs and return them to him. The boy took them like he was in a dream before dropping them yet again and running forward once more. He pulled out a magazine as he did so, looking almost starstruck. "You're Faba! Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation!"

"Hmm…yes, I am," the balding man replied. Ash shifted his position, catching a better glimpse of the man, his green goggles covering his eyes. He seemed a little haughty, but almost appeared to soak in the admiration that Clemont was giving him.

"M-my name is Clemont," he continued to stammer out. "I've been a huge fan of yours! The advancements in technology that you've made for the Aether Foundation in taking care of Pokémon have been an inspiration to me. Your recent revolutionary system known as the RKS has been talked about in the scientific journals for months even without all the specific details!"

"Do go on…" Faba stated, stroking the small goatee that he had, a little. Clemont looked like he would have, holding out his magazine and a pen for the man. Faba appeared to get the idea, reaching forward to take the pen and sign the magazine. "You must have quite the extraordinary taste, young man."

"Clemont's an inventor, himself," Serena said, smiling at the older man. Faba continued to stroke his beard with interest, though Ash felt the man couldn't find anything to say. It was almost like he regarded himself a little higher…or maybe just had something on his mind.

"Faba, I wasn't aware you were acquainted with such children," said the final woman amongst their group. At her rather sultry voice, Ash turned to take a good look at her, barely even taking note of her features before. Now that he did, she looked surprisingly young, with long, voluminous blonde hair that practically reached her hips. She was dressed in a rather tight and form-fitting white minidress and stockings, the only splash of color on her entire figure being the black crystal on her chest and her piercing green eyes.

"I'm not, Madam President," Faba stated, ceasing the stroking of his goatee at the woman's comment. The woman, or a president (Ash wasn't sure), raised her hand and giggled a little. It felt eerily familiar to Ash, but it was forced from his mind at the woman looking straight at him. He felt himself straightening a little before the woman moved her gaze, completely disregarding him.

"I wasn't scolding, Faba. Merely a question," she said, lowering her hand from her giggle. "Though, Professor Kukui, it would appear that you're quite well affiliated with them, yes?"

"I am," Kukui grinned out. No answer as to the woman's identity. Not even telling the woman their names, even if Ash figured she had gathered them from the earlier conversation; she looked rather discerning. The woman smiled again, almost looking like a cat for a moment before she extended her nailed hand towards the three of them.

"Well, regardless of being children, it's a pleasure to meet you, particularly if Professor Kukui holds you all in such high regard," she said. Ash tentatively reached forward and shook her hand. She seemed to hold it only for a moment before letting go. In Serena's case, however, she took a slight time longer. "You said you're here for the Heahea Ceremony, yes?"

"I am," Serena said, smiling at the woman with a nod.

"Sounds rather beautiful," she said. "Oh, forgive me. Lusamine, President of the Aether Foundation." Ash's eyebrows flew into his hair, actually a little surprised by this. At her announcement of identity, Serena stepped back. At the same time, Burnet approached.

"Lusamine is in Heahea on business with the Dimensional Research Lab," Kukui's wife explained. "We just received her from the port and were making our way over there."

"Ooh, what kind of things are you researching?" Clemont asked, stepping just a little close to Faba. The man appeared to preen at the thought of being so idolized and he cleared his throat, as if about to answer the question. Lusamine, however, reached out and placed a hand on Faba, causing him to freeze.

"Now, now, Faba, let's not share  _all_  our secrets," the president spoke sweetly. Faba chuckled under his breath, nodding in agreement with what Lusamine was saying. "And with that, we should really get to reviewing that data, Professor Burnet."

"Well, it's little more than numbers…we don't have anything  _verifiable_ ," Burnet said, waving the issue as she remained hooked in her husband's arm but moved slightly forward. Kukui appeared to be dragged along, looking just a little unsure of what to say in the situation.

"Nonsense," Lusamine said. "I'm sure whatever data you have is most valuable, whether it's verifiable or not. Besides, the sooner we get to reviewing it, the sooner we can get to the Heahea Ceremony."

"You plan on watching?" Serena asked, her mouth parted into an o-shape at the president's words. Lusamine turned her head, a smile upon it as she nodded.

"Ceremonies are rather beautiful things…well, assuming that the right people are participating. I haven't had a chance to see one with all my work, so being in town for one is quite the opportunity."

"Guess we shouldn't keep things waiting then," Kukui chuckled out. "Might as well show 'em your results, sweetheart. I don't think she'll take no for an answer."

"Well…all right. You're planning on meeting with Akela, right?" Burnet asked. The two professors had already turned around now, heading back down the road to where the laboratory was, arm in arm. Ash really blanched inside now…he  _knew_  that he and Serena could look like that. Never before did he realize how utterly embarrassing it looked.

"Lovely to meet you. I look forward to your performance," Lusamine spoke, tilting her head. She began to walk forward once more, heels clopping along the tiled streets. Faba remained standing still, as though lost in thought. "Faba, come!"

"Y-yes, Madam President," Faba stuttered out and he followed after the woman like a lost puppy. Thinking that way, Ash looked down to Rockruff, who appeared to be rather proud at having received Kukui's praise. He leaned down to pick her up, smiling at her while he held her in the air. When Rockruff finally barked back at him, he turned to his friends.

"That was interesting…"

"Interesting? ! Ash, do you not realize the significance of the contributions to science that Faba and the Aether Foundation have provided!" Clemont shouted.

"Then why did you never mention them until recently, huh?" Ash asked. As much as he thought science was amazing, he still thought Clemont was the better inventor, and hearing him gush over someone like the haughty Faba didn't sit right with him. Clemont leaned in, as if challenging him on it.

"You can't possibly expect me to talk about  _every_  major inventor! I never thought I'd ever come to Alola or bring it up in conversation, so you can't hold it against me."

"I just don't know what he's done that's so big," Ash commented, folding his arms. Pikachu was on the ground, looking between the two of them frantically until Serena finally pushed her way in, staring at the two of them sternly. Only Clemont didn't react, gaping at Ash like a Magikarp.

"Boys, maybe this is something to discuss later, like when I don't have a Ceremony to get to," Serena pointed out. Ash felt mortified by her breaking up their argument, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, we should probably get to the hotel, huh?" Ash said with a chuckle. Serena nodded at him sharply, like he was quite right, before grabbing ahold of Clemont and wheeling him away. Ash just shook his head and followed after, briefly staring down the street to see the disappearing backs of Kukui's party. Grinning in bemusement at the odd encounter, it quickly turned to one of encouragement, turning his thoughts towards the impending Ceremony and cheering for Serena with everything he had.

* * *

Maka had been absolutely right, Serena realized. The stage at the Tide Song Hotel was absolutely packed beyond measure. Cameras were flashing and the seats were filled. In some sense, Serena considered it lucky that Bonnie and Lillie had made sure to reserve them all seats. Otherwise, she had a feeling it would have been standing room only for her friends. Not that she had realized it, preparing herself in the large suite set aside for Performers.

After getting a good luck kiss from Ash (a little more chaste than usual, but no less appreciated), she felt as though she'd been closed off, preparing for the Ceremony alongside Maka and Jessilie. Not that they were the only ones. This Ceremony on Akala appeared to have gathered more people than she thought possible to take part in it. Then there was Burnet's comment, about Kukui meeting with Akela. It made her wonder for what purpose the fashion designer would be here, and whether they'd meet again.

None of that, however, made a difference in the face of the large crowd before the stage and the woman dancing atop it with her Comfey and her microphone.

"Aaaaalola, everyone! Welcome to that time for dancing, performances and the trust between people and Pokémon," Maika said, holding her microphone up in the air. Cheers rose at her announcement, everyone standing to give a rousing cheer to the open-air stage. Serena briefly looked up, sucking in a breath at the shining sun. Somewhere ahead, Maka was fiddling with her ribbon. "That's right, it's time for the one and only Heahea Ceremony!"

More cheers followed before being replaced with a reverent silence. Even Serena bowed her head, recognizing the moment as a very important one for the people of Alola. It seemed no matter how big an event was, the people still found time to pay homage to the guardian deities that kept them safe. Finally, though, the people raised their heads and the excitement returned.

"So, without further ado, let's introduce our participants!" Maika called. All of them seemed to take that as a cue to move forward. Only, it appeared a little flashier than before, likely on account of all the camera crews there as each participant did a little dance. Serena chose to join in, wearing her smile as she twirled into spot before extending her hands to the sky. Jessilie took the longest, clearly absorbed in the adulating spotlight. "These lovely and talented participants will be competing for  _this_! The Heahea Lei!"

"Yeah!" the crowd roared towards all of them as Maika presented the object to the crowd. Serena continued her smile, finding Ash and the others standing with their hands cupped around their mouths as they cheered. Lillie didn't do so (standing, that is), and neither did Clemont, who was clutching her egg carefully, a faint glow visible on it from a distance. Next to Serena, Jessilie smirked, as if she was saying that the Lei was undoubtedly going to be hers.

"In order to judge them in this event," Maika continued, "we have our eclectic panel of judges! From here in Heahea City, we have Nurse Joy! Best known for his trial by fire, the bare-chested dancer and battle expert, Kiawe!" Serena finally looked to the judges' station at the announcement of Kiawe, noticing the boy sitting there with a serious expression upon his face. Behind him, in the front row, appeared to be Kukui and his party of Burnet and Lusamine, though Faba appeared to be missing. They were all watching with interest. Then Serena saw the final judge.

"And let's not forget our final, special judge: the one and only fashion designer and former Ali'i ka Leilani, Miss Akela!" That name garnered more than enough cheers to shake the entire stage. Serena, however, couldn't stop her staring. The violet-haired woman had never mentioned it once the two times she'd met her. Granting, she never mentioned being classmates with Kukui either, but one would have thought…She chuckled. It made sense now why she had asked her to take part, at least somewhat. There was still the question of "why" but Serena knew she could save that for later. "So we don't forget, I'm your host, Maika Olelo, here to bring everyone in Alola the latest and greatest on the Heahea Ceremony. Without further ado, let's begin with the Course: the Tunnel Course!"

Like every time, the loud sound of a sheet ripping filled the stage as cameras flashed and popped, catching every image that they could of the construct now standing behind the participants. Serena turned with the others to catch a glimpse of what it was this time. Calling it a "tunnel course" certainly wasn't a lie. The whole entire thing was made up of tunnels: ones that were along the ground, others that acted like slides and still more that hung in the air. Perhaps most interesting, though, was that this time there were no waypoints…and certainly no way of seeing what was going on inside the tunnel.

"As our participants can see, the entire course is like a single tunnel, snaking its way from entrance to exit, no stops in between," Maika said enthusiastically, pumping the crowd up. For a moment, Serena wondered if she was related to the commentator, Harry Kalas. "That means there is no judgment for when the race is finished because that's what the Tunnel Course is, pure and simple: a race."

"Then we have this made, don't we Meowth?" Jessilie said, still keeping her smirk on her face. Serena finally noticed the similarly smirking and oddly familiar Meowth at the Performer's feet. Serena gripped for her own pokeball, already knowing just who she would choose for a partner in what would likely be the pitch black tunnels.

"However, the challenge that will test the bonds with their Pokémon is that the trainer will be unable to see what is happening inside the tunnels! They can give commands, but their Pokémon must also act on their own," Maika said. It almost sounded like the toughest challenge that anyone would have to face, almost reminding Serena of when Ash ordered Pikachu to fight blind. She held tighter to her pokeball, even more resolute in her choice. "The first eight contestants of the many here to finish the race will be the winners and move on to the Performance Portion!

"Trainers, at your ready!" Maika's command forced a movement of all of the participants there to call out their Pokémon. They positioned themselves at the mouth of the numerous tunnels, and Serena realized that each Pokémon had their own tunnel. There was no need to interfere. It was all about commanding and trusting in your Pokémon to make it through. Braixen, who Serena had called forth, turned back. Her wand popped out of her tail, landing in her hand.

"You've got this, Braixen," Serena said confidently. Braixen smiled back and then faced forward with her determination. Maika raised her hand high.

"Let's begin!" Meowth was off, the fastest out of all of them, darting right into the dark tunnel before anyone. Jessilie appeared to not really care.

"Do what you can to win, Meowth!" she shouted, as though she trusted it could make its way to victory on its own. Braixen was right behind Meowth, however, diving into her tunnel with her branch fully alit.

Serena scanned the tunnels, trying to see where each curved, making its way up and down and around. The darkness wouldn't be a problem for someone like Braixen, who had her fire to get her through all of it, but she wondered about some of the others, including a Tauros that was clearly too big for getting inside the tunnel. Her fingers ran over the smooth surface of her pokeball, contemplating when to call out. She closed her eyes, feeling the beating of her heart.

_Feel for it…feel for Braixen the way that Ash does for Greninja…_ Of course, she knew it was impossible for her to attain the same level of bonding that Ash had with Greninja and Pikachu, but still, as she focused, she thought she could feel just an inkling of it. There was no seeing through her Pokémon's eyes, but she could certainly see just where Braixen was in the tunnel, approaching a curve.

"Lean into the right curve," Serena called. Around her, other trainers (sans Jessilie) were rapidly calling out orders for their Pokémon like a wild cacophony, including the ever-energetic Maka. Braixen appeared to cry out and Serena could feel her moving along, taking the turn easily. Serena felt the speed of her heartbeat, and she turned back a moment, noticing Akela watching her curiously, tapping at her lips with her nail. It created a sense of expectation within Serena, and a little pressure. Akela wasn't quite smiling, after all.

The crowd had quieted down, most of them obviously unable to see for themselves just what was going on, only able to listen to the participants and their Pokémon cry out. Serena pursed her lips. She could see Braixen climbing up the somewhat steep hill of the tunnel. Part of her mind called for Braixen to use her wand as a walking stick, and though she couldn't feel her, she had a feeling that the Fox Pokémon was doing exactly that. Of course, as Serena moved along, she could see that a sheer wall was approaching.

"Braixen, at the wall, use your Flamethrower to propel yourself upwards," Serena called calmly. A couple trainers down, Maka was ordering for Aki, clearly the Oricorio taking part in the race, to use her Revelation Dance in whatever way. A cry from within the tube seemed to indicate that Braixen was doing just as ordered, flying upward and into the airborne tunnel portion.

The course had just become a little easier, the way Serena looked at it. Considering, however, that she had no idea how far along the rest of the opponents were, Serena knew that they couldn't just take things easy. Feeling intensely once again, she could sense the slide approaching for Braixen. No words were exchanged, no commands given, yet Serena's thought of how to tackle what was clearly the final part of the race seemed to be shared with Braixen.

"Braaaaaaaaaixen!" the Fox Pokémon's voice echoed out powerfully from the location of the slide. It caused Serena to breathe in relief, just as a shadow appeared at the edge of one of the exit tubes. In particular, it was Meowth, looking quite smug.

"Ha ha!" Jessilie cried. "I knew Meowth would take first place!" And judging by her unchanged expression, she must have figured that Braixen would take second place as well, as she came rocketing out of her tunnel with the trail of flame behind her. Aki looked like she was third, but by the point the fourth place contestant was making their way out, Braixen had run up to Serena and the two embraced each other in a hug.

"You were wonderful, Braixen!" Serena cried, twirling around with her Pokémon. Out of the corner of her eye, Serena could see Maka slapping her hand against Aki's feathers with a grin. It made Serena smile, as well, to see; for a girl who seemed to look up to her, Maka was definitely the kind of person who had the ability to achieve her dream sooner than later without realizing it. She stopped her spinning to look at the judges, wondering how they were taking the relatively swift course compared to usual. Kiawe was still sitting as stoically as ever, but Serena was more focused on Akela.

She wasn't smiling. Or if she was, it wasn't a genuine one, but more contemplative. It made Serena feel just a little inadequate. Perhaps it wouldn't have stung so badly if Lusamine wasn't actually peering at the Ceremony with some sense of disinterest. That her actions were so useless in causing even a fraction of a smile, it hurt her a bit. She sighed out.  _I'll have to turn that around with the Performance Portion…_

After all, a bored judge could only be biased in one direction or the other.

"We have our winners!" Maika's voice boomed across the stage now, hand raising towards the crystalline blue sky. Cheers shook the place and cameras moved closer to the stage, as if to capture both the participants and the screen on which they were now displayed. Serena followed the path of their lenses, noticing the eight faces on the screen. Most of them seemed relatively unfamiliar except for a face that Serena felt she had seen during the Kala'e Ceremony. The easiest three were herself, Jessilie and Maka, which was a given as to their placements. "What a swift race, with some of our early competitors really proving how to move it! These eight lucky competitors will be taking part in the Performance Portion!"

Serena and the others took it as their cue to leave the stage, returning to the side of the area for waiting. On the screen, the pictures containing all of their faces began to shuffle around rapidly before presenting them in a random order: Maka first, Jessilie second, and Serena somehow finding herself as going last out of all of them. Maika continued on. "Of these eight glorious competitors only four will move onto the two-stage Battle Portion!"

"So we have to win two battles…" Serena muttered. Next to her, Maka was nodding, fiddling with her red ribbon again. Seeing it made Serena think of her own blue one, and the boy cheering her on in the stands.  _Smile…He's cheering you on. So are the others._

"Yeah," Maka finally commented. "Should be fun, huh?"

"For sure," Serena commented. Maika was taking up the stage now, striding across with positivity and an abundance of joy that infected the entire crowd as they got ready for the next portion. Serena peeked over, trying to discern the judges' and audience's expression before they began. Akela was still unreadable, along with Kiawe, but Nurse Joy looked excited. The most disappointing thing was Lusamine checking a tablet of hers, though she didn't know quite why it concerned her. Serena also saw Burnet practically snuggling against her husband and it made her realize why Ash had been so chaste with her earlier.

"So, for the Performance Portion, our Heahea Ceremony is allowing the use of two Pokémon on the stage at once! And, if the Course Portion reflected the darkness of the great night sky, then the Performance Portion will reflect the light that comes with it. Today's theme is…Sparkles!" Maika called. The very idea instantly put thoughts into Serena's head, and the others were clearly most excited to see it. "Without further ado, our first contestant, Maka!"

"Here we go! Time for action!" Maka cried and she ran onto the stage, doing a cartwheel as she did so. Serena stepped back, now hidden on the outskirts of the stage to watch her friend and rival. Maka snapped out of her cartwheel and posed with her limbs spread out. "Time for a Revelation Dance!"

"Orri! Orri! Orioricorio!" her two Oricorio called out. Mele shook his pompoms while Aki swayed back and forth. Electricity shot out onto the stage only to suddenly hang in midair from the other Revelation Dance. Then, bit by bit, it was like the attack was being picked apart, disintegrating into its sparkle state. It was clear that Maka's little "film crew" worked extremely well together.

"Now time for a Helping Hand and Air Cutter combo!" Maka said proudly. Aki continued to sway, moving its hips even faster than before as she glowed yellow. Those yellow streams soon burst out from her body, glittering through the air until they joined with Mele's body, making the latter Oricorio appear to be sparkling. Then Mele threw his poms up, the blades of air flying upwards in two different intervals before the first began to fall, impacting with the second and colliding. "One more Revelation Dance!"

Serena now saw Maka was moving her body alongside her Pokémon, switching seamlessly between Mele's movements and Aki's movements. The glitter fell softly and slowly, its descent slowed even more by Aki's Revelation Dance before the electricity sparked it all, giving it a vibrant sheen. Maka switched into a quick somersault as she slid across the stage, her Oricorio flipping forward and landing on her shoulders.

"And that's a wrap!" Her, admittedly short, performance got quite the cheers from it, but Serena chose to not look at the judges. Knowing what expressions they wore for Maka's performance wouldn't help her in the here and now. Serena felt herself somewhat pushed aside, knowing that it was simply Jessilie's way of saying that she was heading for the stage. Maka apparently saw her coming because she cleared the area, turning back as Jessilie pranced forward.

Wobbuffet and Stufful both emerged from their pokeballs as the woman twirled around, automatically creating a sheen of glitter to fit with the theme. Serena clenched her fists, watching her rival intensely, even if not listening to the commands given. She could tell that the spectators liked what they saw, though, and it wasn't hard to see why. Jessilie was a true master at making it all her own. The way Stufful would fling a Hidden Power at Wobbuffet for it to be blasted into the air, streaking glitter behind it. Then Jessilie would twirl with Stufful before bounding off of Wobbuffet, herself, having Stufful use Low Sweep to break the orb into little pieces. For having what appeared to be a limited move-set with the theme, Jessilie made perfect use of it.

"Well, I'm impressed," Maka said, rubbing at her nose a little. "That lady knows how to work a camera. Maybe she can be your co-star."

"Maka…" Serena said, causing the girl to grin at her. The honey-blonde shook her head. She figured that Jessilie would probably like that quite a lot, and if the reaction from the crowd to her performance was anything to judge by, then they would clearly like the idea just as much. Serena eventually blinked, realizing she had missed the ending to the stellar performance, but from the over-dramatic placement of Jessilie's hands and the falling silver dust, she could tell it was amazing. So amazing, apparently, that she didn't want to leave the stage until the next participant was already standing there and Maika began to usher her off.

"Ugh, how rude! Removing me from my stage time! Isn't that right, Wobbuffet?"

"Wob wobba!" her Pokémon agreed with her. That, too, made Serena shake her head. Jessilie was so very different from her. While Serena strove to make everyone around her happy with her smiles, Jessilie seemed to only care for herself. Watching the magenta-haired Performer going on about her lost screen time, made Serena realize this, even if it meant missing some of the other performances. Two different people, with vastly different approaches, who could still make the people around them smile, but perhaps only different kinds of people.

_Isn't there a way to do it for everyone…?_  She couldn't help but think to herself. Was it really something impossible to please everyone on her own? If that were the case…

"And next up is our final contestant, the lovely Serena!" Serena firmly pushed that insecurity from her mind, barely registering that she'd missed much of the other performances, and ran out on to the stage, almost skipping like a dance. She twirled, tossing her pokeballs into the air.

"Brionne, Sylveon, let's go!" Serena cried. Her two Pokémon emerged with an enthusiastic cry. Sylveon instantly began to prance around the stage, her feelers trailing behind her. Serena's smile stretched wide, throwing her hand high. "Now, Brionne, start off with Bubblebeam!"

"Brion!" Brionne barked slapping her flippers together, the balls that seemed to form her ears jiggling. She spun, sending a cascade of bubbles into the air that hung there, floating about.

"Now, Sylveon, use your feelers to knock them around!" Serena cried. Sylveon continued to prance about, her feelers moving in every which direction, slapping into the bubbles. They collided with one another creaking a sparkling fresh water around them. Serena twirled around, her dress flaring out a bit as Sylveon kept up her work, leaping onto her extended arm. "Now, Brionne, use Aqua Jet! Dance through the air!"

"Veon!" Sylveon mewled, as if showing support for the Pop Star Pokémon's big debut. Brionne surrounded herself with water and shot off into the air. Water collided with the bubbles, leaving the misting sparkle of water behind her in a trail. Serena continued to dance, letting Sylveon leap off her arm as she flicked her hands from side to side.

"Now, spin, and Sylveon, use Swift!" Brionne shot straight upwards, spinning rapidly within the Aqua Jet as Sylveon sent her golden stars for the suddenly collected bubbles, resting at the tip of the Aqua Jet. They collided, sending a blue and gold glitter sailing into the water that dispersed from Brionne's Aqua Jet. Serena launched herself forward, using her hand to spring off through a flip, allowing herself to be coated in the light mist. She landed deftly on her feet. "Now, collide Fairy Wind with Disarming Voice!"

"Bree!" Brionne called, sending out the pink heart-shaped soundwaves. At the same moment, Sylveon flipped back, sending her glittering wind with the hearts. They broke apart into pink dustings, filtering down onto the stage. The crowd cried out, but Serena wasn't letting herself get distracted. Not now.

"Sylveon, ride Brionne's Aqua Jet while she uses Bubblebeam!" Serena called. Sylveon cried out again and then leapt towards Brionne. Serena was a little apprehensive, worried that perhaps the weight would be too much, but her fears vanished as Brionne was once more concealed in water and shooting off with Sylveon on her back. Bubbles cascaded around her, shooting off from Brionne's nose, the water from the Aqua Jet making an even more iridescent mist behind them in the bright sun. Serena's dancing turned into practically playing with the bubbles, grabbing one of them and throwing them into those that remained, each of them popping and glistening. Finally, Brionne headed back around. "Finish it with Fairy Wind!"

"Sylvie!" Sylveon cried proudly. Serena flipped forward once more as Brionne landed. Sylveon had leapt off, whipping her feelers around. The gust generated from them made contact with all the bubbles that remained hanging in the air. They all exploded, sending the fine glitter cascading upon them as Serena landed and raised her fist into the air.

"Finish!" she called, feeling her chest heaving. Sylveon landed next to Brionne, touching her feelers to the Pop Star Pokémon's flippers. Around her, the crowd cheered and Serena turned to look at the panel of judges, wondering if she could discern their reactions. Kiawe seemed as stone-faced as before, like he was unwilling to even crack a smile no matter what the performance, while Nurse Joy was the complete opposite, glowing with praise. Miss Akela, however, was the one that mattered and Serena could see the woman's lips turning upwards just a little.

Beyond her, however, was Lusamine, now looking amusedly bored with the proceedings. Serena felt her smile falter for just a second.

"Breen?" Brionne asked, looking up. Serena forced her lips to go upwards, more of a way to calm her Water type, and she waved her hand to the crowd once more, looking and seeing Ash and Bonnie cheering on their feet. Finally, she turned back, heading for the area past the curtain while the judges deliberated.

"As usual, you never disappoint, Serena," Maka said cheerily, greeting her as soon as she got backstage. Serena looked up, nodding a little at the girl as she greeted her. The cluster of participants were gathered around what looked like a screen, one Serena hadn't noticed before. Maybe it was because the other Ceremonies had been so small, that seeing this one making the participants gather behind the scenes was surprising. "That was a really awesome performance."

"Thank you. Yours was great as well," Serena admitted, drawing closer to the screen. Jessilie appeared to scoff as they approached, flicking her hair somewhat.

"As if these children could expect to match me! We all know that I'll be the winner here," she spoke haughtily, as usual. Maka appeared to giggle a little at it under her breath.

"She has no shortage of confidence, does she?" the girl asked. Serena couldn't disagree, but most sounds around her were muddled, her attention zeroed in on the screen, waiting for the judges to make a decision. To Serena's surprise, she felt her throat go a little dry, like she was actually scared of the results without any reason to be. Was it because of Miss Akela? Kiawe? Not wanting to disappoint those who put so much faith in her?

The bored expression surfaced in her mind's eye.

"Serena, they're announcing," Maka hissed, tugging at the sleeve of her dress. Serena nodded, swallowing to clear her throat as she turned to the results on the screen. Maika was striding on the screen, Comfey swirling around her figure.

"The judges' results are in and we have the names of the four proceeding on to the Battle Portion, complete with the first matchups!" Maika told everyone. Her image was replaced with four squares on an otherwise blank canvas. Serena's grip tightened. Then, they flipped.

The first picture that Serena saw was Maka's, paired up against some boy that Serena didn't know. However, next to it, slated as the battle to start off the festivities was Jessilie's picture…and her own. The honey blonde turned her head, looking to her magenta-haired rival. Jessilie appeared only slightly surprised, enough that focusing on her drowned out all but Maika's call for the first two battlers, them, to take the stage.

"Good luck out there," Maka said, framing Serena's shocked expression with one eye closed. Serena nodded, not having anything to say. Jessilie was ahead of her, walking out onto the stage with all the gusto that she could. The crowd ate it up, no doubt led by the woman's fan club, Serena's reception was relatively smaller, though no less warm, as she strode onto the stage.

"All right, it's battle time!" Maika cheered from a safe place, away from the battlefield. "For those unaware of Ceremony rules, each trainer will use one Pokémon in an attempt to earn flowers and not lose them. The first trainer to reach seven flowers wins the battle, or if a Pokémon is knocked out, of course. These flowers will be handed out by the judges. Now, let's have the battle begin!"

"Gourgeist, let's share the spotlight!" Jessilie called confidently. Gourgeist emerged from the thrown pokeball, dressed as usual for performances. Serena's gaze tilted sideways, noting how Lusamine was sitting in a relaxed state, her eyes actually focused for the first time. Remembering it wasn't the time, and that only the judges and her own skills mattered, she threw her own pokeball.

"Pancham, it's your turn!" she cried, calling the Playful Pokémon to the fore. A beeping sound was heard and Serena saw another screen with her and Jessilie's faces, the translucent flowers spinning on them. A bell was heard. Serena went straight to work. "Make a line of two Stone Edges!"

"Pancham!" Pancham called. He used his little legs to flip forward through the air and slam both of his stubby arms onto the stage. From those two arms raced a line of stones, jutting up with their blue glow from the ground and heading straight for Gourgeist.

"Hah, Gourgeist, stop it with a combo of Shadow Ball and Seed Bomb!" Jessilie stated, flicking her hair. Gourgeist appeared to sashay (as much as one could while floating) forward. She opened her mouth and twirled towards one of the lines of stones, firing off the brightly glowing, green projectiles. It impacted, causing the stone to explode in a blue glitter. Pancham looked to Serena, who nodded. He leapt upward, getting atop one of them as Gourgeist threw a crackling orb of shadowy energy at the other line.

"Dark Pulse," Serena said, thrusting a gloved fist forward. Pancham leaned his arms back, the darkness coalescing between his palms before flying off. It met the Shadow Ball, pushing against it until both broke apart into purple dust that clung to the stones. A dinging sound was heard again, indicating what appeared to be a point for both. Pancham leapt back down, moving out of Gourgeist's way. "Use Arm Thrust!"

"Panpan!" Pancham called. Serena knew that, on its own, Arm Thrust would be utterly useless against Jessilie's Gourgeist, but though the woman appeared to expect just that, she had different ideas on her mind. Pancham's fist struck the stones powerfully, the force driving through them and breaking them apart. He didn't stop there, punching forward with another. That stone flew off in a large chunk to aim right for Jessilie and Gourgeist.

"Use Leech Seed on the ground, my glorious gardening Gourgeist," Jessilie said, grabbing the hem of her skirt and holding it a bit.

"Geist…" Gourgeist said. Her mouth glowed green and shot the seeds forth into the stage. They instantly sprouted like a giant gray wall that the stone shattered against, weakening the plants, but not breaking them. Another ding. Another tie.

"Whoo, this battle is awful exciting between these two maidens battling for the top prize! Few moves in and they remain neck and neck at two flowers each," Maika commentated to the crowd, clearly able to get into it now that it was a battle. "How will this keep up?"

"Use Dark Pulse and cut through the attack!" Serena called. She felt herself starting to grin, the passion of battling alongside her Pokémon, and in making their attacks look amazing, beginning to ignite within her. Pancham called forth the nexus of dark energy and swept it along. It was like a scythe almost, in the way that it cut through the Leech Seed, breaking them into leaves that fell down like it was the middle of fall. Pancham's attack continued on, aiming right for the Pumpkin Pokémon…only to be met with Gourgeist's own Dark Pulse. Yet more dings.

"Neck and neck, these two are really battling it out, and none of their Pokémon have even been hit yet!" Maika called excitedly. The chatter in the crowd was rising, sounding more excited than ever. Serena ignored them. They were both tied at three points, with no way to gain an upper footing yet. It was different than any other kind of battle; hitting the opponent counted for less than actually making good use of the field and teamwork.

"Gourgeist, make that Pancham pay for interrupting our combinations with a beautiful, dancing Shadow Ball!" Jessilie cried, posing dramatically, as though she was the unadulterated star of the show. Regardless of her diva-like attitude, Gourgeist immediately appeared to agree with her trainer, a Shadow Ball forming at her mouth. She began twirling off through the field, the crackling orb firing off. Gourgeist kept going, all of the orbs firing off in a wide array. There was no real rhyme or reason to the direction of the attacks, making them impossible to predict and dodge.

"Pancham, spin on your back and use Dark Pulse, just like we've practiced," Serena called. Pancham dodged to the side, barely missing one of the Shadow Balls. His arm allowed him to flip onto his back, holding fast to the swirling dark energy before letting it loose. Unlike Gourgeist's Shadow Balls, Pancham's Dark Pulse did continue in a pattern despite being utterly wild. It impacted with the Shadow Balls, turning them into naught but wisps of energy in the air before slamming down on Gourgeist, landing the first true hit of the entire battle. At the same moment, Pancham's prone position of spinning allowed a stray Shadow Ball to strike him.

"Paaaan…" Pancham groaned, his Dark Pulse petering out as he slid across the stage. Serena clenched her fist a little, realizing it would be impossible to hit the free flowing and swaying Gourgeist. There was only one way to take a victory.

"Use Stone Edge to surround them!" As another ding sounded for their points being judged, Pancham turned his lost spinning into momentum, flipping forward with his feet to slam once more upon the floor of the stage. From there, large stones encircled both the Playful Pokémon and his opponent.

_Ding!_

"Serena's pulled ahead!" Maika announced proudly, driving the crowd into a cheering frenzy. "She's earned five points to Jessilie's four. Who will win this blistering battle between competitors?"

"I will, of course!" Jessilie announced.

"Jessilie! Jessilie! You're the one that can't be beat!" called the obvious voice of Jameson from the crowd. Serena narrowed her gaze, wondering just what her rival was planning from beyond the rocks.

"Pancham, be ready with Dark Pulse," she informed of her Pokémon. Pancham called out, not being all too visible to see nodding. Then Jessilie snapped her fingers.

"Use Leech Seed! You're not the only one that can put close quarters to their advantage," Jessilie called. Serena could see her arms rising up above the stone barrier, earning more cheers from the crowd. Nothing could be seen from beyond the pale, but Serena could hear Gourgeist's cry. It took a second and then the stones were suddenly ripped away from the ground, disappearing into glittering dust, vines tossing them outward. In the center of those vines was Pancham.

"Pan…pan…chamcham…" Pancham cried out, clearly struggling against the hold. Serena's eyes twitched a little, trying to find a way to break out of it. The vines were glowing, sucking out her Pokémon's energy. His arms were trapped, preventing him from being able to do much at all.

"Watch us world, and our beautiful garden!" Jessilie practically cackled out. Serena gritted her teeth, trying to think of her way to get out of things…yet she froze. There was a grin on Jessilie's face. It wasn't sadistic, or smirking, or mocking. It was a genuine grin. She  _enjoyed_  performing and battling and being recognized in this way. For a second, her hands trembling, Serena recalled words from too long ago, ones locked away in her memory, but ones that made her doubt for a single second.

_With every dream your heart makes, don't you shatter another's? If you achieved your dream, would you not crush someone else's?_  A fraction of a second passed, and Serena opened her mouth to give a command, find some way to break Pancham free, but she couldn't stop the nearly invisible trembling. Jessilie looked so happy. If she wanted to bring that smile out, wasn't her winning the only way to do it? Her own question repeated in her head, blinding her.  _Can I really make everyone happy and smiling?_

Then the bell was ringing loudly, the battle already over. Gourgeist's Shadow Ball, infused with the glowing Seed Bomb, had struck Pancham, flinging him back towards Serena's feet. He wasn't incredibly injured, but he may as well have been.

"I'm sorry, Pancham, I…" Serena whispered out. She didn't feel upset in the slightest; the pain and sting of loss had left her long ago. Instead, it felt like there had been an agonizing thought in her brain, receding now that the battle was over. She could barely hear Maika calling that Jessilie had won the match as she bent down to pick Pancham up. He reached a paw over to touch her face. "It…it's just a minor setback. Just something on my mind."

"Pan…" Pancham appeared to agree. Serena breathed in.  _Just be happy, yourself. That'll help. You'll get there. You_ will  _keep your promise._

"Let's go back," Serena said calmly. It was odd how serene she felt, losing. No tears. No sadness. She wasn't even sure she felt disappointment. If anything, she felt confused; confused over what had just happened in her mind, and what path to take. "Thank you for the good battle, Jessilie."

"Oh…well, yeah, all right. You, too," Jessilie passed off, almost looking like it pained her to be even somewhat modest. Serena smiled at her, getting some measure of a smile from the magenta-haired woman. That was good enough, and Serena turned back, only catching a glimpse of Akela, not enough to read her expression.  _Hers_  was an expression she really didn't want to see.

Maka was already moving to take the stage, giving her an almost sympathetic look, but no time for much else. Serena kept her smile, allowing Pancham to smile with her as they reached the changing room, the television in there playing the results and the currently running battle. Maka's work with one of her Oricorio was surprisingly good, as usual, but Serena focused more on changing. It was only when she was halfway to getting dressed, her skirt pooled around her ankles, that the reality hit.

She had lost.

More than that, she had choked. Choked because she questioned herself and her dream. This time, it wasn't her abilities that were lacking, or maybe that even Jessilie was better (which she could have been). It was that for those few seconds on the stage, the ones that had made the difference, Serena questioned whether she could achieve what she promised she would. For that, perhaps, she hated herself. Her hands gripped at her camisole, balling it up when she heard a knock on the door, echoing through the surprisingly empty room.

"Just a minute!" Serena called. She quickly pulled her skirt up and threw her shirt on, brushing a hand through her hair. Before she called for the person at the door to enter, she looked down to Pancham, who looked just as disappointed in himself. "You did really great today, Pancham. Next time we'll win, I promise."

"Pan…" Pancham expressed dolefully, but allowed himself to be called back into his pokeball. No doubt when he'd have dinner with Chespin and Dartrix later, he'd be right back to his usual self.

"Okay, sorry," Serena finally called. On the screen above, Maka had managed to claim victory, absolutely coming to sweep her opponent with no problem. Serena turned away as the door clicked open, revealing, in some sense, all the faces that she wanted to see right then and there.

"You all right?" were the first words out of Clemont's mouth. In some way, Serena was surprised that they hadn't come from Ash, but when she looked into her boyfriend's eyes, she could understand why. There was a slight cloud behind his, as well. He knew exactly what she had experienced. Had felt it in the Winding Woods, and when Hala had asked him that question. He knew why she had lost, yet behind that, there was belief; belief in her that she would win the next time.

"Totally fine," Serena expressed, putting her smile back on her face. "Just a misstep."

"I totally thought you would win…" Bonnie expressed with her puffed cheeks. Serena laughed the issue off while Clemont stepped forward to hand the egg over to her. She took it gratefully, feeling it twitch a little in her arms.

"I think we all did…but I guess, it's not always that easy, being a trainer," Lillie expressed. She sounded a little solemn, Serena felt, but yet still exhilarated. "I still enjoyed watching you. Your performance was a beautiful scene."

"Definitely," Ash finally spoke. He had come up to her, smiling with Pikachu. Serena nodded back, feeling the slightest bit more comfort at his presence. "You'll win your next Lei soon, though."

"Of course," Serena assured him. She truly believed it, too. Whatever doubts had settled into her mind and the pit of her stomach, they were all pushed away by her friends' encouragement. To that, she sucked in a breath. "Why don't we all go watch the rest of the Ceremony? I'd like to support everyone."

"All right," Clemont agreed, turning away. The boy who had clearly just lost to Maka was approaching from the back door and Serena grabbed her things, making her way carefully out of the room to let him in. He looked displeased, but seemed to strut into the room with a zealous determination. On the screen, the battle between Maka and Jessilie was well underway, with Maka having two flowers to Jessilie's four; Aki seemed unable to get a good bead on Gourgeist. "I don't know if we'll be able to get seats, though. It's pretty packed, and someone may have taken ours."

"Who cares?" Bonnie pointed out. "We don't mind standing, and Rotom can float!"

"Bonnie is right…for once," Rotom commented. Serena let the laugh burst forth, shaking her body as she let it out. She took Ash's hand, feeling a little better, even as they entered onto the open stage, just in time to see Gourgeist's Shadow Ball soar forth to absolutely destroy Aki and earn Jessilie her seventh and final flower. That had been surprisingly quick…or they'd just taken a while to get to their seats. Regardless, their group walked forward, and Serena found herself staring over the massive sea of spectators, down to the stage. Maka looked a little disappointed over her loss, but just like in the Kala'e Ceremony, looked entirely at peace with it. Jessilie, comparatively, actually looked completely over the moon.

"With that, people of Akala, the Heahea Ceremony comes to an end, with the winner as Jessilie!" Maika cried to the audience, grabbing Jessilie's hand and holding it into the air. Serena found herself clapping, glad that her rival had managed to win her first Lei. Maka had already long left the stage.

"Yes! Jessilie wins!" cried Jameson from the crowd. Jessilie was grinning, clearly giddy over the win she had managed. Serena's gaze shifted a little lower, watching the judges, also clapping politely for their victor. To Serena's surprise, so was Lusamine; perhaps she had managed to derive some enjoyment from the Ceremony after all, though it wasn't like Akela seemed that much different. Comfey finally floated down, placing the Lei into Maika's hand as she gave it over to Jessilie.

"And so, we present to Jessilie the coveted prize of our honorable Ceremony: the Heahea Lei. May you wear it with the blessings of the Tapus." To Serena's surprise, Jessilie actually managed to accept it humbly, if not with a grin that belied some of her vanity.

"I'm happy for her," Serena said. Ash appeared to be the only one to hear it, nodding. He squeezed her hand, sharing that warmth and comfort.

"We'll see you all next time!" Maika called. Jessilie appeared to still be soaking in the cheers of the crowd, only beginning to walk off when Maika took center stage and continued to ignore the magenta-haired Performer. In the end, she soon disappeared behind the curtain. Serena thought of going to congratulate her, but figured that the adoration of the crowd was all the woman needed. "Until then, everyone, alo-"

Serena felt her body shaking. For a moment, she thought she was trembling again, until she realized it wasn't  _her_  brain shutting off Maika's words. Because she wasn't the only one trembling and shaking. Ash was as well, leaning forward to grip at a seat. Bonnie fell over, woefully trying to grab Rotom for support.

"What…is that?" Lillie screamed out. She wasn't the only one doing so. Many people all over the Ceremony stands were doing the same. Serena fell against Ash, her chest pressing against his back as she stared down. Pikachu clung tightly, his gaze traveling wildly around as his ears twitched. In the center of the area, the stage suddenly began to split, as if the very air around them was churning violently. Maika threw herself off the stage while the adults and Kiawe all stood, looking around wildly for what was causing the sudden tremors.

_Woooooooo! Woooooooo! Woooooooo!_

"What's…?" Ash questioned. The shaking seemed to get worse, the very air being disturbed around them. Serena pushed herself up. Kukui and Burnet seemed to already be on the move, running for their nearest exit, with Lusamine right behind them. A large sound was heard somewhere far in the city, like a Pokémon crying out in pain.

" _Attention all citizens and visitors of Heahea City,"_  Officer Jenny's voice happened to call over the loudspeaker. If she'd hoped for it to quell any panic, it appeared to have the opposite effect.  _"Remain calm. There are currently tremors through the city and watchers have sighted large groups of panicking Pokémon. We urge you to remain indoors where it is…what…is that…?"_

Officer Jenny's words appeared to garner the attention of everyone, none more so than Pikachu, who pointed in distress towards the sky. "Pikapi! Pipika! Chupika!"

"Pikachu, what is it?" Ash asked. He looked up at the same moment Serena did. Shrill screams filled the air at the sight of it. Serena's eyes widened at the horrific sight, practically stretching the whole of Heahea City like an ominous dark cloud. She flinched, because with a loud cracking noise that seemed to split the very earth itself, the eerie portal that was over Heahea City, one that had suddenly rippled into existence, split open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So how about that ending? Did you see it coming? Wouldn't be the Ancienverse without a city or massive amounts of people being threatened, am I right? What is this mysterious portal? What is to come for our heroes? Will Heahea City be okay? So many questions, that time will answer. On other notes, yes, that wonderful Lusamine has arrived in full glory, I suppose. What will her role be? On top of that, we have Burnet's appearance as well. But most importantly, Serena lost the Heahea Ceremony because of a question in regards to her own dream. This is obviously important, but you'll see how it develops.
> 
> I know the Ceremony likely felt shorter, but, of course, it wasn't the ultimate point of this chapter, for obvious reasons. I hope it still turned out favorably, however.
> 
> We're about to hit some great content, I think, so I hope you'll continue to stick around. So, until the next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	24. A Frenzy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, but that's all right! For now, let's enjoy Chapter 24!

Chapter 24

A Frenzy

Serena almost felt like screaming, but she wasn't, by any means, scared. The same could not be said for Lillie, who was beside her, kneeling on the tremoring ground with her hands on her head as she did so. Nebby popped out, screeching and squealing all of the sudden, like he was in pain. All around them, the cacophony of screams echoed in the air.

"What's that portal?" Ash asked, looking towards Clemont, as though the boy would know the answer.

"I…I'm not sure," Clemont answered with sudden trepidation. Another tremor was sent through the city, though this one felt different. It didn't feel like the whole air was being disturbed this time, but more like a thousand hooves were stampeding at once. "It's something, though…"

"Clemont, what do we do?" Bonnie screamed. Serena grimaced, holding to Ash just a little. She looked down, making sure her egg was still safe and intact, glowing lightly. Wishing for its safety, she slipped her bag off and placed it inside, hoping to keep it secured. Memories triggered into her brain: of the Kalos League, and the Kalos Team Tournament.

"Rotom will observe!" Rotom cried gallantly, seeming to run a scanner. It began to float off towards the portal in the sky. A sudden thrill of danger shot through Serena, one that Ash clearly shared as well.

"No!" he shouted, lunging across the seat and grabbing Rotom, pulling it back. Rotom struggled for a bit. "It's too dangerous."

That was for sure. Serena didn't know what that portal in the sky was, but it emanated nothing but danger for all of them. She tried to steady her breath and block the flow of images that were now assailing her brain unwillingly. Looking up, the portal sparked a tinge of familiarity in her mind, like she'd seen something like it before. Whatever it was, though, there was a great sense of danger seeping out from it.

More tremors, this time similar to the ones that had started all of this. Only this time, it was followed by a loud cracking and creaking. The tubes that made up the Tunnel Course from earlier suddenly split apart, crashing down onto the already broken stage. More screams, and then Serena felt herself pushed to the side from a fleeing citizen. She landed on the ground, but immediately pushed herself up.

"Everyone's starting to panic," she groaned out. Her head turned back, looking to Lillie, who had covered her eyes. Nebby was still acting up, screeching his "pew"s as loudly as they could be.

"I'm not surprised," Ash said, shaking his head. Nor was Serena, but she hadn't wanted to say it out loud. They had been through enough crises by now to know that people never wanted to actually listen and simply calm down when the terror first started. Even for most of them, that kind of terror almost always gripped them for at least a fraction of a second. "But they're only going to make things worse."

"It might just seem worse here," Clemont observed as the tremors continued to shake his body. They appeared to be growing more intermittent and calming, but they had yet to stop. More importantly, the mass exodus suddenly issuing forth from the stands was all-consuming. Some people were in such a rush that they knocked others aside. Then there appeared to be the Pokémon issue, a number of them screeching or others looking lost, searching for their trainers as they got lost in the crowd. Clemont's words of reason and wisdom, however, appeared to have given Ash some idea.

"Then let's get outside," Ash said. He secured himself around Serena's hand once more, pulling her up. She reached over and grabbed Clemont's until they were in a long chain. The only one holding out was Lillie, who seemed too frightened until Bonnie nudged her. She looked up, sniffling with slight fright, but eventually reached forward to take the hand. "We try to stick together, okay?"

"Just hold on to me, Lillie," Bonnie said confidently. Dedenne nodded atop the younger girl's head to encourage Lillie, before Ash started dragging them all forward.

"Y-you're all so calm…" Lillie said, almost shocked. Serena looked back at her in time to see the girl shake her head profusely. "I shouldn't be surprised…"

"Just try to stick with us, Lillie," Ash said. Serena's mouth creased itself into a frown. He sounded so serious, like there was a righteous anger pulsing within his veins. Not that she could blame him. Even without the requisite knowledge of just what was going on in the city, Serena could feel her own instincts activating; instincts honed through so many battles. It was time for them to jump into the action and defend the city from whatever threat was suddenly encroaching upon them.

The group broke into the main lobby of the Tide Song Hotel, where it quickly became apparent that the damage and chaos was  _not_  just restricted to the stage outside. It appeared that it was happening everywhere in the city. Vases were toppled, plants and their dirt scattered across the ruffled carpets.

"Everyone, please calm down!" a concierge called at the massive streaming amount of people, though it was in vain. If the stage had been absolute chaos, then Serena wasn't even sure what to call this. People were running out with suitcases, flooding the lobby. There were so many people, that Serena found herself suddenly being stymied by the glut of it all. Three different streams of people were moving along towards exits in the front and to the sides.

"Ah, Nebby!" Lillie cried. Serena turned, suddenly finding that her hand was detaching from Clemont's. The crowd inexorably moved forward, sweeping her and Ash up in it all. Her boyfriend turned, but they were too late. All they could hear was Lillie's calling. "Nebby, where are you?"

"Ash, should we…?" Serena asked. He shook his head, that same furious and stern expression upon his face.

"It'll be easier to meet with them outside," he pointed out. She couldn't argue with that logic, especially with them unable to fight against the current flow of civilians. "Besides, Clemont and Bonnie can take care of themselves and Lillie if they need to. I don't know so much about the town after this kind of panic."

"Right," Serena agreed. She gripped tighter to Ash's hand, and this time, instead of fighting the current, they surged into it. Their usual pleasantries were ignored among the jostling and jockeying, the two of them and Pikachu forging a path through all of the people that were panicking. Serena still tried to look and see if she could find a glimpse of their friends, but couldn't. The only thing she was sure she saw was a head of blond hair similar to Lillie's, but belonging to a male.

Eventually, the two broke out of the lobby in time for another tremor from the portal to rock the place. They tumbled out of the main door and into the square before the Tide Song Hotel. More people were running about, some escaping homes and others actually trying to do their part in helping others get to safety. In essence, however, the whole place was in a pure uproar of panic. Serena was the first to stand, helping Ash up. Pikachu remained on the ground, his cheeks sparking violently, obviously feeling tense. More importantly, Serena noted, was the group in front of them.

"Professor Kukui!" Ash called, their little group running towards the trio that was Kukui, Burnet and Lusamine. Serena cast her gaze around, hoping to find Clemont and the others, but to no avail. Her hand did reach for Braixen's pokeball, however, as a precaution. "Professor, what's going on?"

"Unsure…" Kukui said. It was the first time that Serena had heard such a level of uncertainty in the man's voice. Even back in Iki Town, with Guzma and Team Skull, he had sounded so level-headed and in command. "Honey?"

"It certainly would appear…" Burnet commented. She folded her arms, gazing up at the portal hanging over Heahea City. "I mean, we'd registered the disturbances, but never one this large or so close together."

"Was the data not reflecting a trend of sorts, though?" Lusamine questioned. Her voice appeared more intrigued than worried, but Serena attributed it to the grace with which she was holding herself. Burnet's brow creased at the thought of all of it.

"I mean, it was, but I didn't think…" Burnet looked to be chewing her lip furiously now. The sounds of chaos continued to erupt around them, causing Serena to look for the others, still unable to find them. A little worry began to settle into her, hoping that nothing had happened. "I'll need to get to my lab. Now."

"Agreed," Lusamine called. She stepped forward, pulling a pokeball from the white belt around her dress. "Milotic, see us to the Dimensional Research Lab."

"You as well, Gallade," Kukui called. Serena admitted surprise at the two adults calling out their Pokémon, though she was more surprised by Kukui, considering he had never even hinted at having a Pokémon other than Rockruff before (and considering she wasn't even his…). More than that, however, it made Serena realize just what sort of situation they were in. "Ash, can I ask you to do what you can with this chaos? We'll all meet up by the Pokémon Center, okay?"

"On it, professor," Ash stated, nodding his head.

"If possible, we may need to corral any stampeding Pokémon there to calm them down, but we'll have to see," Kukui said as he reached forward and took his wife's hand. "All right, Gallade, give us a straight path."

"Gall!" Gallade said, dashing ahead of the trio as they ran into the fleeing crowds, Lusamine's Milotic slithering alongside. Serena looked to Ash and Pikachu.

"Guess we'll need to do the best we can," she told him. He agreed with a nod. Part of Serena wished that Clemont had given them their usual walkie-talkies in this kind of situation, but she also realized that there had simply been no time. The sirens were still going off as Serena called Braixen out, the Fox Pokémon already battle ready.

"Everyone, please move to the shelter that is the Pokémon Center!" Officer Jenny's voice now sounded out over the speakers throughout town. "Make your way in a calm and orderly fashion. Please avoid the port or the eastern outskirts of town. We have reports that a large number of Pokémon have begun to flood the city from those locations."

"Serena," Ash stated, looking over to her. "Should we…?"

"Right now, absolutely not," Serena told him. "We stick together. We'll head a little closer to the eastern outskirts, by the Pokémon Center. That way we can do everything we can. We  _won't_  let this become another Ancien or Lumiose."

"Right," Ash agreed. He now lifted his hand and pointed towards one of the roads leading away from the Tide Song Hotel. Serena wasn't sure that it was a safe path to the Pokémon Center, but she quickly realized the reason why he wouldn't point exactly that way. "For now, let's deal with these."

"Muud!" The braying sound was loud as numerous Mudbray began to stampede down the street. Behind them looked to be a whole pack of Lillipup and Herdier, splitting off down the streets. They looked beyond agitated and frightened. That wouldn't have been an issue, but with so many people running about, Serena knew that their fear and potential anger could lead to violence.

"Braixen, use Psyshock on the ground in front of them," Serena said, stepping forward. Her skirt swayed with her movements as Braixen held her wand in one hand and extended her claws with another. Bright purple lights appeared at the end of the nails and then went soaring out in three separate streams. The Mudbray continued their charging, only for the tiled ground in front of them to explode, halting their process.

"Braaay!" they all seemed to cry at once, their hooves stamping at the ground at a frenetic pace. Serena grimaced; she may have halted them temporarily, but for the moment, she feared that she'd only enraged them.

"I hope Professor Kukui and Burnet are able to figure out what's causing the problem soon," she spoke aloud.

"Yeah. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash roared, raising his hand into a powerful fist. Pikachu coalesced the electricity around his body and then sent it crashing out into the Mudbray and Herdier. The former weren't affected in the slightest, but the Herdier were blown backwards. Serena swallowed, wondering how they were going to stop so many Pokémon from rampaging through the city.

"Ash! Serena!" Both of them looked up to the sight of Rotom floating over, twitching somewhat. "Rotom feels uneasy…"

"Tell me about it," Ash said sternly. The Mudbray were stamping their feet, a few of them starting to charge forward. A different sound was filling the air and Serena looked up to see flocks of Pikipek and Trumbeak surrounding the sky like an ominous dark cloud. "Where are the others?"

"Clemont has a message for Ash!" Rotom said cheerfully, though it came off as rather fake in the moment. "He wants to tell Ash and Serena that he and Bonnie are heading for the Dimensional Research Lab."

"Oh, good," Serena expressed. Pikachu and Braixen were acting on their own, an Iron Tail and Flamethrower pushing those few charging Mudbray back. The honey blonde's eyes flicked upward, a foreboding feeling that the fliers overhead would attack at any moment, gripping her. "If anyone can help figure all of this out, it's Clemont."

"Yes. Clemont says to meet at the Pokémon Center," Rotom confirmed. Serena finally looked directly to the Pokédex and noticed that it was carrying a walkie that it dropped into Serena's hands. Ash frowned a bit at him not being chosen to carry it, but Serena simply patted his shoulder to reassure him. "He has said that he will examine what is driving the Pokémon into a frenzy and then use the system at the Pokémon Center and police station to find a way to calm them down."

"Sounds like something Clemont would do," Serena pointed out, gripping the walkie tight. "What about Lillie, though? Where is she?"

"Unclear," Rotom answered, acting as though it was shaking its head. "The group lost track of Lillie."

"I'll look for her, then," Ash stated, gripping at his gloves carefully. "Serena, you focus on helping all the civilians out and securing the safety of the Pokémon Center. If we can't shut them down…"

"Then it would be pointless. I'm on it." Serena reached forward with her free hand to clasp Ash's, nodding. She resisted the urge to give him a kiss for safety, deciding to instead save it for when they reunited once again. "Rotom, you stick with Ash, all right? That way, when he finds Lillie, we'll know."

"Rotom is on it!"

"Pipika, pika chu pika," Pikachu said. Serena and Braixen both smiled down at the electric mouse, nodding at his obvious wishes for their safety.

"Right. Buddy, let's go," Ash said, dashing off for the road where the Mudbray were. It seemed to be as good a place to start as any. "Rotom, scan for any signs of Lillie that you can."

"In the meantime," Serena called, whipping her hat off and stuffing it into her bag to cover the egg, "the rest is up to us. Brionne, Sylveon, Pancham, I'll need your help!" Her Pokémon all emerged with bright flashes of light, each wearing a fighting expression. There was another brief tremor and Serena looked up to see the portal pulsing, brimming with light as though something was emerging from within it at a very slow pace.

"Panchamcham!" Pancham cried. Serena whipped around, facing where his paws were pointing. A scowl flashed across Serena's face. People were diving aside in their panic as a herd of Tauros began charging through the area powerfully and angrily.

"Pancham, use Stone Edge and Sylveon, Protect on the civilians! Don't let them get hurt!" Pancham flipped forward at her command, slamming his fists along the ground. The stones raced outward, forming a bulwark along the sides of the street before erecting a shield of rocks. Serena knew it wouldn't hold for long against the rampaging Tauros, but it would be enough for her to close the distance, especially with Sylveon's Protect shielding the civilians to the side. "Everyone, calm down. We'll handle the Tauros. All of you, make your way to the Pokémon Center."

"Thank you, miss," called a business man, running past with his open briefcase scattering papers behind him. Serena nodded, running forward towards the Tauros. Some people were scattered on the ground, picking themselves up, while others were already fleeing down the road to the Pokémon Center.

"If you have Pokémon, have them protect you," Serena called as well. Her eyes flicking to the side, Serena saw what looked to be a little girl cowering behind the ice cream stand. Serena ran over, and held a hand out. "Come on, this place isn't safe."

"O-okay…" the girl expressed. She took hold of Serena's hand, allowing her to pull her out. There was a loud crashing sound as the Tauros broke through the stone barrier, pulverizing them into dust.

"Pancham, Dark Pulse, and Braixen, Fire Blast!" Serena called. Both Pokémon acted instantly, but Serena focused on pulling the girl out and close to her. She wondered if both Ash or Clemont had yet to meet their goal, as insane as it sounded.

"Moooooar!" one of the Tauros cried, breaking away from the herd as it bucked around, charging right for them.

"Brionne, Disarming Voice," Serena said, attempting to take full control of the situation. Brionne flopped forward and opened her mouth. The pink hearts flew out, slamming right into Tauros' head. The Wild Bull Pokémon bucked but veered off to the side, crashing into a wall and knocking itself out. Not that the wall went unscathed, pieces of stone and stucco coming off in flakes. Serena breathed out, watching Braixen and the others protecting the civilians and holding off the rampaging Pokémon. "Are your parents close by?"

"I…I don't know," the girl said. Serena smiled, hoping to give the girl some measure of peace in the moment.

"Okay, you see the road then, and my Sylveon?" she asked. The little girl nodded her head swiftly. "I want you to go with her, straight for the Pokémon Center. Tell anyone along the way the same thing, okay?"

"All right," the girl said, sniffling a little. Serena tapped her on the back and the girl ran straight for Sylveon. The Intertwining Pokémon appeared to get the message, wrapping one of her feelers around the girl's wrist and running down the road.

_Kerra!_  The cry pierced the air sharply and Serena looked up. Her foreboding feeling had finally come to its fruition, and the Trumbeak above began sailing down in an enraged attack. Serena felt, for just a moment, it might have had to do with the pulsing feeling coming from the portal, but it was unimportant in that moment, not with a new attack from both ground and air.

"Bubblebeam, upward!" Serena called, throwing her hand into the air. Brionne flipped onto her tail and sent the cascade of powerful bubbles straight up. This time, they were more concentrated instead of hanging in the air, slamming into the Trumbeak that were attacking. Some evaded, however. "Braixen…"

"Revelation Dance!" The familiar sound of Maka's voice reached Serena's ears and she turned to see the girl, dressed in her usual traveling clothes instead of her Ceremony outfit. In front of her were Mele and Aki, each of them dancing out their move. Sparks flew through the air, striking those Trumbeak that had managed to break through, while the other one held them in place and flung them back into the air. "Getting out of the hotel was beyond insane…"

"Maka, you're all right?" Serena asked, breathing in relief. Maka nodded, finishing her run up to Serena and brushing some wisps of her black hair out of her eyes. Serena noticed that she hadn't used her red ribbon to tie much of her hair back.

"Just fine, but confused as heck…I mean, what did I walk into, a disaster movie?" she asked. Gone was the complete peppy persona that seemed to always be around with Maka. Instead, she was wearing the same grim expression that she'd had when the Bewear attacked days before.

"I have no idea," Serena noted. She cast her gaze beyond Maka, towards the entrance of the Tide Song Hotel, to see just how many people were left. As she did, she saw Jessilie and her fan club just outside of the building, their own Pokémon out. Serena raised her hand. "Jessilie! Over here!"

"Oh, she made it out okay?" Maka asked, displaying that she had no hard feelings over losing the Ceremony. At Serena's shout, the winner of the Heahea Ceremony instantly began to scuttle over with her fan club.

"What is going on and who interrupted my victory celebrations?" Jessilie snapped. Serena would have laughed at how overdramatic the woman was being, but the situation wasn't calling for it. More flying Pokémon were circling in the air, and Pancham was beginning to look tired as he created barrier after barrier to slow the Tauros down.

"No one knows," Serena spoke. "All we know is that Pokémon are rampaging through the city and the citizens are in danger."

"Sounds like a cue for us ta get outta dodge," the short member of Jessilie's fan club said.

"I second that plan, Jessilie!" Jameson commented. Jessilie, however, looked a little more conflicted. She inclined her head, for once not looking down on everyone as she peered at Serena. Her lips were twisted a bit, like she hated herself for thinking selflessly for the first time in her life. Finally, after a moment of gazing at one another, the older woman sighed.

"Ugh, what kind of winner would I be if I didn't save all my adoring fans?" Jessilie groaned out, looking straight at Gourgeist and Stufful. "We have to protect the people of this city."

"You serious?" Jessilie ignored the remark from her fan club and flicked her dress out, coming to stand next to Serena. Maka moved to Serena's other side.

"I ran away from that Bewear before, but this is entirely different," Jessilie said, folding her arms with a fierce expression. More pulsing sounds came from the portal and what sounded like a shrill and alien cry. "These people cheered for me. I won't let them be hurt."

"For once, her vanity can actually be used for something good…" Jameson commented with a liberal sigh. Once he finished, he stepped forward to join the woman. "Crabrawler, help out with the city and I'll give you all the berries you want."

"Corab!" Crabrawler clicked out, snapping his pincers. Serena smiled, facing the Tauros as her eyes flicked in every direction to the Pokémon stampeding through the city. She threw her hand out and both Maka and Jessilie put theirs in before raising them high. Before she could stop herself, Serena clasped hers into a fist.

"Braixen, use Psyshock!" Their Pokémon leapt into action.

* * *

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash's command was short and simple. So was its execution. Pikachu leapt right into the pack of Mudbray and swiped his tail across, blowing them backwards. Ash issued an apology as he and the others continued to run through the city, slightly back towards the Tide Song Hotel. "Rotom, do you know which entrance Clemont and the others managed to get out from?"

"The eastern," Rotom informed him. Ash turned, looking to the now trickle of people from that particular exit. If Lillie had been washed away with the others, despite the separation, she likely would have come through the same exit. Yet, still, there was no sight of her amidst all that chaos that was surrounding them. "Rotom has not seen hide nor hair of Lillie since the group was separated."

"That's a problem," Ash noted, looking back to the slightly cleared street. Some of the Pokémon appeared to have scattered at Pikachu's display of strength, running instead to the trees in the area or the various little alleyways. "Lillie doesn't have any Pokémon."

"Pipi…" Pikachu called out dolefully. Rotom whipped back and forth, watching Ash try to consider just where Lillie could have gone.

"Rotom would not worry! Lillie has Nebby after all!" Rotom expressed in an obvious effort to cheer them up. Ash's eyes tightened a little.

"Of course…" Ash felt a grin blossoming on his face. "Lillie said she thought Nebby was missing, so she probably went after him, like usual. Rotom, can you scan for Nebby's signature?"

"Rotom can try, but with so little data, Rotom will likely only be able to find a certain area where it is," the Pokédex answered. Ash nodded, giving it the go ahead; getting only a certain range was more than good enough. He could take care of things from there. Rotom scrunched a little, the image of what looked like a radar appearing on its screen. The word "scanning" soon appeared as well, running back and forth until dinging at long last. "This way!"

"Awesome," Ash said. Pikachu ran ahead of him, following the flying Rotom through the chaotic city. Up ahead was another group of Pokémon, this time a whole group of Rattata and Raticate that appeared to be eating up food after food. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Chuuuuu!" Pikachu cried, sending a short, but very effective, Thunderbolt. The Mouse Pokémon were shocked and went scurrying off. Finally, the streets began to clear a little, most of the marauding Pokémon obviously moving to the interior, though there appeared to be some agitated ones still left as Ash was reaching the outskirts. It was a far way from the hotel, for sure.

"Pewpewpewpew!" screeched the sudden noise from nearby. Ash pulled to a stop. From where he was, the sound echoed all over the place like crazy, making it impossible to pinpoint just where the noise was coming from. Even Rotom displayed a question mark, not knowing what else it could do. All Ash knew for certain was that it was unmistakably Nebby.

"Greninja, I choose you!" Ash called, tossing the Ninja Pokémon's pokeball up into the air. Greninja had barely emerged when the torrent surrounded his body, both being of one mind and body until he had entered his form. Seeing the world through Greninja's eyes, Ash focused in on where the sound was coming from.

"Ninja!" Greninja cried, pointing forward to a copse of palm trees and other trees bunched together. Ash knitted his brow together as he followed Greninja's arm. His trusted Pokémon had clearly found Nebby…but more than that, there were two people. One was close by, running slower, straight for Nebby desperately, while the other was following that one.

"Let's get going," Ash called. Pikachu raced ahead in order to keep pace with both Ash and Greninja. They swerved off the road, ignoring the Pokémon that were still coalescing in the city in fear of the gigantic portal. His feet touched grass and they aimed for the trees, right for the area that almost appeared secluded from the city itself.

"Pew!" the cry came again. Ash picked up the pace, a feeling of intense unease now tightening in his chest.

"Nebby, hurry up, back in the bag!" cried the voice of the first one running. The feeling didn't go away, but Ash was glad that he had found Lillie. What he wasn't glad about was how upset and frantic she sounded, like she was on the run, desperate to either find Nebby or escape. Ash grit his teeth and broke into the trees.

The clearing was large, but provided the ample amount of sight needed to see Lillie dashing across it. She seemed blind to his presence there, focusing on scooping Nebby up from the ground in mid-run. Nebby continued to screech in anger and agitation as Lillie held the little one close, but kept running. Ash stepped forward. "Lillie!"

She didn't hear him, still running right across the field. She threw her gaze back, confirming Ash's thoughts that she was being pursued. More than that, her eyes were wide with absolute fear, like she'd seen a ghost, or was being haunted by one. Or maybe it was just one she didn't expect to be found and followed by, evidenced by her tripping over a root. She crashed to the ground, shielding Nebby carefully, like she felt her pursuer was after him. Ash walked a little into the clearing, wondering if the "bad guys" she had mentioned earlier had found her.

However, he certainly didn't expect who had come crashing through the woods from where Lillie had run from, breathing heavily, with his Pokémon looking set to attack. Ash's fist involuntarily clenched at the sight of it, even though he should have known. The boy had said he was searching after all.

"Stop…running…Lillie," he breathed, straightening up and flicking his blond hair. "You need to come with me, now."

"N-no…I won't," Lillie shouted as the boy began to walk across the clearing. "I don't want to."

"This isn't a negotiation. Do you have any idea how long I've looked for you? You're such a pain, cutting into my time, just to…agh!" he spat angrily. Once more, Ash's fists tightened and Greninja leapt into action without a command. He tossed his giant shuriken right in between Lillie and the boy, creating a thin layer of mist that garnered both of their attentions while Ash stepped forward. The boy, in particular, scowled at him. "Ash…"

Ash stared right back, confusion intermingling with anger as he spoke the boy's name. "Gladion."

* * *

"Clemont, hurry it up!" Bonnie yelled as she dashed headlong in the direction of their destination.

"I'm…trying, Bonnie," Clemont gasped out. His sister rolled her eyes at him, but Clemont felt that he had to give himself some kind of credit; he had really improved his running speed and endurance over the past six months. It just wasn't enough for him to keep up with Bonnie. "You don't…even know where…we're going…"

"That's why you need to hurry up!" Bonnie scolded him. His lips set themselves into a thin line as he put an extra burst of speed behind him, rounding a corner as he finally managed to keep pace with Bonnie. It was probably just that his sister had slowed down, but it was enough, especially as they ran down the boardwalk that would lead to the Dimensional Research Lab. People were still fleeing around them in the opposite direction, straight for the Pokémon Center. Clemont thought of asking Bonnie to stay there, but chose against it; he knew he'd rather keep a closer eye on her. "Is that it?"

Clemont looked up at his sister's question. In the very slight distance, Clemont could see the technologically advanced building, a number of sensors placed on its exterior. It was most certainly their destination…and it was surrounded. "That's quite a lot of Eevee and Grubbin…"

"Way too many," Bonnie commented. Dedenne was clinging to her hat as it flopped about while they ran. "Who are all those people outside?"

"My guess," Clemont said, pushing his glasses up and observing the uniformed individuals battling against the Eevee outside, "would be the Aether Foundation."

"They're good guys, right?"

"Very good," Clemont nodded. That was all the confirmation that both Bonnie and Dedenne needed. The Antenna Pokémon now finally leapt off of Bonnie's head, right into the thick of marauding Eevee. His body began to store electricity, unseen by the Pokémon in front of him. Then, with that electricity, the blast funneled upward into a giant orb of electricity that zapped out. The Eevee were all consumed by the blast as their energy was funneled back in to Dedenne. They then slumped, smoking. "Sorry about that…Grubbin, round up the others on the laboratory!"

"Grub!" Grubbin called, emerging from his own pokeball to shoot a String Shot at his species. They were all too busy gnawing on the electrical components to notice before they were wrapped up and delivered on the side of the laboratory.

"Nice job," Clemont praised his partner. Grubbin looked particularly happy, and though he looked like he wanted to pick up where the others had left off, he nonetheless attached himself to Clemont's backpack. "Is everyone all right?"

"Thank you," one of the uniformed individuals said. "We tried to hold them off from the lab, but we didn't want to cause unnecessary harm."

"Aether Foundation, right?" Clemont asked, he and his sister skidding to a stop. The man nodded. "Is Professor Burnet inside? And Professor Kukui?"

"They arrived here just moments ago," the same man spoke. That was a good enough answer for Clemont. Without even saying another word, the blond inventor took his sister's hand and brushed past the man, making for the automatic door. It slid open, allowing the both of them inside.

Ironically, it was just as chaotic inside as it had been on the outside, only there weren't Pokémon attacking here.  _Yet_ , formed the morbid thought in Clemont's mind.

"What are the current statuses of the readings?" Burnet was yelling across to a researcher. Said researcher was at a monitor with Faba, the both of them actively scrolling through fluctuating graphs. For all of his scientific expertise, Clemont couldn't even read it. He felt he could still get some answers, though, especially when he saw Professor Kukui talking silently with Lusamine.

"They're holding stable, professor! We've never seen readings like these…not for over six years!" the researcher yelled back.

"Yes, not even I, the great Faba, have registered stable readings like this," Faba spoke, stroking his goatee. "The pathway to the Ultra Space. Come, take a look, Madam President."

"What is it?" Lusamine said, inclining her head to dismiss herself from the conversation with Kukui. Clemont took that as an opportunity to approach the husband and wife pair.

"What  _is_  going on, professor?" he asked. Burnet briefly nodded towards the pair of siblings before moving to join her researchers. At that, Kukui took it upon himself to fill in the blanks.

"That portal above the sky has stabilized," he explained. "My wife has been researching the Ultra Space for years, but she never thought that a portal to that space would actually stabilize itself. What about you, Clemont? Surely you could lend some scientific expertise to the cause, cousin."

"Honestly, all I'm good with are inventions," Clemont admitted with a light chuckle. He refused to tack on the thought of  _even then, I'm sometimes useless_. "Bonnie and I came here to figure out what's going on with the Pokémon. If we know that, then maybe we can find some way to reverse the process and send them all home without causing any further damage to the citizens."

"That's a pretty great idea…if we knew what was causing it," Kukui admitted. He reached up to remove his hat and run a hand through his hair. "Don't suppose you've figured it out yet, have you, honey?"

"Not quite," Burnet said. "But sweetheart, you have  _got_  to see all this! It's data like we've never even seen before. Wouldn't you agree, Lusamine?"

"Quite," the president of the Aether Foundation said. "At best, the records six years ago are the ones most similar to this. Even then, though, the witnessed phenomena was hardly on this scale. The portal wasn't nearly this stable or large…quite a…beautiful sight, if I may say so."

"It'll give us great ability to research the Ultra Space in the future, now," Burnet said giddily. Clemont frowned at that. Research and progression were definitely all well and good, but the way things stood, Heahea would be run over by a stampede of furious Pokémon before any strides could be made.

"But what about the present?" Clemont had the courage to speak up, surprisingly raising his voice over all of those that were chattering about. Lusamine was the first to turn, regarding him with a quirked eyebrow for all of a second before Burnet finally responded.

"Of course," Burnet apologized, her hand moving across a keyboard to access some data. "I've researched the Ultra Space since the first major phenomenon of the modern age was witnessed six years ago, tracking its movements closely with the work and funding of the Aether Foundation as of late, but we've never experienced something like this."

"Typically, we've had very small pockets of the Ultra Space open up," Faba chose to explain. Clemont looked at him, hanging on his every word. The scientist seemed to regard him with some level of respect as he divulged this information. "Just little ones here and there. Professor Burnet has recorded them faithfully, but none of them amounted to anything. Just little pockets that were like wisps of air, appearing and disappearing in a flash."

"Nothing like six years ago," Burnet agreed. "That was the start of it all. What was it? A portal to another world? A connecting space between two locations?" Clemont grimaced; he'd had enough of connecting, alternate worlds, if he was honest.

"Or is it the home of an endangered species? Of a world of impossible dreams?" Lusamine finished. She placed her hands on her hips as she leaned forward to peer at the wavering charts and graphs. "Perhaps they're knocking at the door, searching desperately…Maybe one of them has found the key."

"Key or no, we have some  _actual_  problems in  _this_  world," Kukui spoke. "Clemont is right. Those Pokémon are rampaging out there, and if we don't know why, we can't stop them."

"Perhaps, Madam President, your theories are as right as always," Faba chuckled out. "I believe it is very possible that, regardless of what happened six years past, whatever creature may be behind the other side of the portal is trying to get through. But as it is a foreign presence, it is driving the Pokémon wild, sending them into an utter frenzy."

"So, eliminate the presence and we eliminate the threat?" Clemont asked, trying to put it in the simplest terms possible. Faba nodded, as though that truly  _was_  the simplest. "Is there a way to close the portal itself?"

"Unless we're talking legendary Pokémon, no way," Kukui said. Clemont was surprised that it was he who answered, considering he hadn't seemed to know much about this "Ultra Space" to begin with. "I don't know much about the Ultra Space; that's my wife's purview. When it comes to the legends of Alola, though, I know a bit. I'm sure that Solgaleo and Lunala, or maybe even the Tapus, could cause it all to close, but no one's seen the former two for…geez, who even knows how long."

"The only way possible that I could think of would be to drive whatever is coming through, back…or perhaps emitting something that might disrupt the portal's pulsing," Faba concluded.

"Like a frequency? That…I could do," Clemont mumbled out, taking in all of their observations. He looked around at the adults before him, each looking at him. "Professor Burnet, if you could give me some of the data on that pulsing frequency, I think I could create a jammer signal. I don't know if we'd need to continuously run it, but…"

"I think once it's closed it would be enough," Burnet admitted. "Despite the stability of the portal, research has shown it is still very fickle. Some days it seems to have more power to remain open, and others less. Though we don't even know if the frequency will work."

"No, we don't, but we also need to calm these Pokémon down," Clemont said. He looked to Bonnie, who had remained remarkably quiet the whole time this was going on. She nodded to encourage him. "I might as well try to accomplish both at once."

"I'll help out, then," Kukui stated, placing a hand on Clemont's shoulder. "My knowledge could come in handy, eh, cousin?" Clemont nodded, gratefully accepting the help from the older man. Lusamine considered them both a moment, reaching up to brush some of her hair back.

"Do be careful, and try not to hurt too many Pokémon in your path," the woman finally spoke. "We wouldn't want to lose a bright mind like yours."

"Th-thank you…" Clemont said with a light blush. Leaving that issue behind, Clemont and the other two turned back around, straight for the door out of the laboratory. The Eevee that Bonnie had defeated were now all gathered together, still knocked out, by the Aether employees, though none of the three paid them any mind. Once they were away from the lab, Clemont raised his own questions to Kukui. "Professor, do you really think we can close the portal with a frequency? I mean, it's my own idea, really, but, as an expert of sorts…"

"No way to know unless we try, huh?" Kukui asked, wearing a grin. The blond could tell it was rather forced, especially when he dropped it mere moments later. "Truth be told, even Burnet doesn't know much about the Ultra Space, and she spends all her time researching it. A portal of this magnitude has never really opened up before in all the time she's been researching. Maybe a frequency will help, but…"

"Yeah…" Clemont voiced, their feet beating a rapid pace towards the Pokémon Center. There was no way to know for sure, but he could certainly try and help the Pokémon to stop rampaging.

"Wonder why we've never heard of it before…" Bonnie said, tilting her head a little as she ran. "Like, why's nothing like this been in Kalos?"

"Dene…"

"Who knows?" Kukui sounded out. "All the missus knows is that they've been growing more frequent, like they've been getting more energy. This is the straw that broke the Numel's back, I guess."

"Then let's focus on what we  _can_  do," Clemont said. There was a loud thrumming noise that suddenly passed through the area, sending Bonnie tumbling into her brother. Clemont caught a hold of her, looking to the portal in the sky. Was it a threat? Was it simply a visitor? Clemont had no idea, even if he trusted those researchers to find all the answers that they could.

"Sssssha!" cried a nasty sounding Pokémon. Clemont straightened Bonnie up to find that they were nearly at their destination of the Pokémon Center, only to be blocked by what looked like a horde of furious Gumshoos.

"Dedenne, use Parabolic Charge!"

"Grubbin, use Spark!" Both of the Pokémon charged forward, surrounding themselves with electricity as they rammed forward into the Gumshoos. The two guarding the way tumbled backwards from the impact, but many more soon filled in the ranks near them. Kukui's Gallade was out, as a number of enraged Pikipek descended, clouding its view. Behind them looked like a horde of angry Diglett, though they appeared different than the Diglett that Clemont was used to. "We're surrounded…"

"Of course, we are," Kukui sighed out. It was certainly a tight situation, and one that Clemont had genuinely no idea how to get out of. He looked upwards, his heart rate speeding up. The blond inventor had a feeling that Faba was very right about what was on the other side of that portal. He could practically feel it, a malevolent presence tearing the sky apart.

"Bonnie, stay close," Clemont instructed his sister. She did as he asked, drawing close to him and gripping at his shirt. The Pokémon surrounding them moved closer, ready to pounce at the slightest movement. Clemont swallowed, a brief hazy feeling in his mind for all of a second. For that same second, he thought the Pokémon were acting strange; not like the wild and panicky Pokémon that were around the city, but like they were very much in control, convinced to do something they normally would not. Then they struck out, making Clemont's thought flee from his mind.

"Gallade!" Kukui yelled, the Pokémon still surrounded by Pikipek. Clemont clenched a fist.

"Grubbin! Spark!" Grubbin screeched out, veiling himself in electricity and charging henceforth into the swarm of Gumshoos. Their forces went tumbling back before forming a small circle around Grubbin, encapsulating it and preventing escape. Bonnie gripped Clemont tighter, almost like she was actually scared. "It'll be fine…"

"I know," Bonnie said calmly, though her body language said otherwise. Clemont scanned the area, searching for a way out of their situation. He quickly saw it, too, because Grubbin's body was glowing, and before long, the blue light that enveloped his body burst outward in a shimmering haze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Madness all around in Heahea City! Obviously the portal to the Ultra Space is wreaking havoc, but what could be behind its veil? There were a lot of pieces moving around this chapter from Serena teaming up with her rivals to face the threat (and showing her usual penchant for leadership lately) to Clemont and Bonnie learning more about what is going on. Whether or not Burnet and the others' theories are right will, of course, be revealed in due time, but not now with a crisis on hand. Even more than that, Grubbin appears to be…well, you know what it is. Oh, and on the note of Kukui and Gallade, yes, it's a change from the games, but for reasons, mostly being that any Pokémon I'd consider his ace were already taken up by others...and other reasons. The more intriguing, of course, is whatever is going on between Ash, Lillie and Gladion. Excitement abounds next chapter, that's for sure.
> 
> So close now, I hope you're enjoying the intense action that's probably more reminiscent of my past works. Until next we meet, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	25. An Invader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On to Chapter 25!

Chapter 25

An Invader

"These annoying things! Stufful, Hidden Power!" Jessilie's annoyed screeches echoed around the road as she kicked her long leg at one of the descending Wingull. She was scowling, Serena noticed, but the honey blonde Performer snapped her own attention back to the still charging Pokémon that were barreling down at them.

"Braixen, use Psyshock!" Serena called. Braixen swiped her claws, and from them flew the purple streaks of light, arching upward into the air and then crashing down into the herd of Tauros. They managed to scatter, but it didn't solve any of the other problems currently surrounding them.

"I wonder what's making them all so mad and rampaging," Maka commented as Mele hopped on top of her head. He bound off, sending an Air Cutter slicing through the sky to stop the divebombing Trumbeak.

"No idea, but I'm sure Clemont will figure it out," Serena said. She flipped back from where she was, a Tauros bucking wildly, nearly impaling her with his horns. Pancham came twirling down, landing an Arm Thrust on Tauros' head, stopping its horns by locking them into the ground. "Brionne, Bubblebeam!"

"Bree!" Brionne called, sending a giant bubble out that was floated and pushed along by the series that followed. It exploded against Tauros and sent it flying back.

"Yeah? How long's that gonna take?" Maka asked with a slight bit of annoyance. A Trumbeak spun right for her with Drill Peck and she cartwheeled out of the way, knocking into Jameson by accident. Giving an apologetic expression to the blue-haired man, she ordered a Revelation Dance that seared the Trumbeak, whose beak impaled the ground. "I don't think this line of Pokémon is growing any thinner."

"Then we'll take care of that," Jameson declared, stepping forth like he was prepared to take on the whole herd of rampaging Tauros. He rolled his shoulder, like he was winding up to take a pitch. Next to him, Jessilie smirked with glee, pointing straight ahead at the herd in front of them.

"Wobbuffet, at attention!" she snapped. Wobbuffet saluted and bounded forward to stand right in front of the Tauros, like he was prepared to take the full brunt of attacks.

"Now, Crabrawler, hit it with a Bubblebeam and Power-Up Punch!" Jameson commanded. He look absolutely giddy and Serena quickly realized just what the Performer and her fan club were doing. It looked strangely familiar to the honey blonde, something she couldn't quite shake, but she also realized the dangerous implications of it all.

"Maka, pull back. You, too, Braixen and Pancham," she yelled out, bending down to grab Brionne carefully. Without a second thought or a glance back, Serena ran past the imposing trio that was preparing to mow down the Tauros with a powerful counter blast.

"Let's do this! Let's see how a herd of Tauros feels when  _it_  gets blasted off!"

"Uh,  _Jessilie_ , let's not get to ahead of ourselves," the short member of the fan club said, folding his arms. It made him no less fierce, especially as Crabrawler shot towards Wobbuffet. The blue lug was glowing as bubbles impacted with its surface. Crabrawler was no longer alone, either, a Psybeam and Dark Pulse shooting at Wobbuffet's sides. He appeared to actually be grinning as he took the attacks, like some sort of masochist. Crabrawler reached his mark, his fist glowing bright orange as he struck against his own comrade. Wobbuffet was pushed back a little as Crabrawler landed on the ground and began to scuttle back towards Jameson, clamping him dangerously on the head.

"Not now, Crabrawler!" the man remarked, his Inkay attempting to pull Crabrawler off.

"All right, Wobbuffet! Let it fly!" Jessilie screamed, followed by an almost maniacal and high-pitched laugh. Serena made a quick look to see that most of the civilians were cleared from the area. Then she held her ground, knowing just what kind of attack to expect.

"Wobba wobbuffet!" the Patient Pokémon cried out with his own glee, saluting the entire time. The glow around his body began to coalesce, forming into a bright white orb in front of his figure. Then the orb turned into a destructive beam which fired out, consuming the row of stampeding Tauros. Serena placed a hand on her skirt, tamping down to make sure that nothing was shown to anyone nearby as the attack ripped apart street tiles. Maka could be heard screaming, though Serena could tell there was no fear in the scream. Loud, clomping hooves were heard, combined with thuds and blasts.

Finally, though, the attack faded, allowing Serena to look up. The street was nearly demolished from the strike, though perhaps it looked fine compared to some other areas of the city. Wobbuffet was slouching a bit, clearly slightly winded from making his major attack. Most importantly, though, was that the Tauros were gone. Some were scattered on the side of the road while others had simply been pushed back and were darting off to parts of the city unknown.

Serena dusted off some of the debris that had gathered on her shirt and she ran forward towards one of the Tauros that was kicking his legs, struggling after he had stumbled over into a wall. He was crying out, like whatever fog had been in his mind was now broken, replaced only by the panic of being unable to move. Serena moved her bag around, hoping to bandage the Tauros' leg and help him up.

"Serena!" Maka yelled, forcing the honey blonde to turn to her. Said girl was pointing towards the sky and the cavalcade of Pokémon now diving down at her before she could even reach the Tauros. Giving a slight "tch" of hesitation, Serena flipped backwards, sliding along the ground to avoid the attack; thankfully her egg remained secured. One of them impacted, breaking apart one of the few tiles left intact on the street. She swallowed, realizing that a few seconds earlier, it would have been her head.

Serena looked to Braixen, prepared to order for a quick Flamethrower from her trusted companion. That's when she saw it from the corner of her eye, however: the shadow that jumped high into the sky and towards their airborne attackers. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a Lurantis, both of its sickles alight with solar power, slashing through the opponents. Those that still had their sights on Serena now changed them, angling instead towards the new, incoming opponent.

"Sweet Scent," said a staid and mature voice. Serena shifted her body's angle, able to catch sight of Miss Akela striding forward. Kiawe was next to her, his Marowak beating back any stray Pokémon that were still undergoing their chaotic phase. Serena watched as Lurantis landed on top of one of the roofs and began to blow. A light, pink breeze floated in the space, casting down upon all of them. It was relaxing, and for a brief second, Serena found herself slipping into a stupor.

"Brai," Braixen said, keeping her own wits about her. The call managed to snap Serena out of it and she shook her head, watching as the Pokémon in the air hovered low until they appeared at peace and began to flutter off, even if they still did so shakily. The cacophonous sounds of battle faded away, allowing Serena to finally turn to the injured Tauros, pulling out her bandages and wrapping them around his leg. The sound of footsteps indicated that Maka had run over as well, moving around the Tauros and pushing him up onto his feet.

"You okay, now?" Serena asked. Tauros mooed and then galloped off before anything else could be asked. She sighed in relief, turning back to their newcomers to see that Jessilie and the others had vanished, the Performer being carried off by her fan club just like last time. She wanted to hope they were moving to protect another area of the city, but that hardly mattered. So, Serena chose to say nothing, knowing she'd be seeing the woman again at some point.

"Well, this is quite the grisly scene," Akela said, striding forward as Lurantis hopped down to her. "You girls look fine, though."

"We're strong!" Maka insisted, flexing her muscles. Akela didn't smile, choosing instead to nod as she surveyed the wrecked street. Kiawe also walked forward, his arms folded in a surly fashion.

"Are the civilians all right?" the trial captain asked. Serena nodded, looking down the road to the boardwalk where the Pokémon Center and rendezvous point were. "Do any of you know what's going on?"

"We can discuss the details later," Akela told all of them, her heels clopping along the broken road. Serena was surprised at how graceful her gait was, even on the uneven terrain. Watching her, Serena felt she could probably give even Aria a run for her money when it came to being graceful. "Right now, the city takes priority. I'm sure Kukui is on it; he has a tendency to get himself involved in these things."

"We all set the Pokémon Center as our meeting point," Serena told the violet-haired woman as she stepped forward, still clutching to Brionne. She drew even in time for Akela to nod while Maka and Kiawe took up the rear. Braixen and Pancham were running with Mele just the same, keeping a close watch on their surroundings.

"Then we secure the Pokémon Center," Akela said tersely and seriously. "Just because they've made it a spot of shelter does  _not_  mean they'll be immune to these Pokémon rampages, especially until we figure out just what's causing them."

"Right. I sent Sylveon to help defend them, but there's only so much she can do on her own," Serena agreed with the woman. Akela cast her an appraising look, almost discerning in nature. Serena didn't quite look at her, her mind focusing on what was most important for the task ahead, instead of Akela's reaction to her statements. Slightly hurried footsteps indicated that Maka was drawing closer.

"I saw that Jessilie get hoisted off. Think she'll be back?" the black-haired girl whispered. Serena shook her head, growing doubtful that would be the case. The three of them and Wobbuffet seemed highly interested in getting out of the city before even more crazy things could happen…at least, that was her supposition. The group was now reaching the boardwalk where some beach Pokémon were continuing their own agitated acts. However, Serena felt a little warmth inside at seeing they weren't the only trainers to be fighting back. "And…where's Ash again?"

"Somewhere," Serena answered, clutching at Brionne and finally realizing her walkie talkie was still in her hands. Akela was turning, aiming for the center of the boardwalk where the Center was. Serena ripped her gaze from the beach where some of the police officers were battling back some attacking Wingull, Corsola and Chinchou. Amongst them was a striking woman that Serena recognized from conversations with Ash, battling with a Garchomp that was slicing her way effortlessly through the forces. Other than that vague familiarity, however, Serena just focused on the Center, which looked surrounded by Pokémon.

"That's odd…" Kiawe first commented. "They don't look like they're panicking."

"Sylvie!" Sylveon's sudden cry interrupted Serena's own ruminations. She turned to her prancing Pokémon, running up to her with a gleeful cry.

"Oh, Sylveon, I'm glad you're all right!" Serena called, kneeling onto the ground to hug her Fairy type, while depositing Brionne to the ground. Once Sylveon had returned it, they both straightened, joining Akela and Kiawe in staring ahead at the Pokémon. Serena's eyes narrowed a little, wondering just what Kiawe was seeing, only to notice how almost organized the Pokémon were, like they were forming a strategy. It was like some had been driven into a frenzy but these weren't…

A loud thrumming sounded out from the portal and those same Pokémon reacted, twitching a little, growing slightly more violent, as though giving into some deep, dark thoughts. Serena stepped forward, her own mind hazy for all of a second, before coming to a stop outside the doors to the Pokémon Center when she noticed that these particular Pokémon were surrounding some people. Very familiar people. They were also surrounding a Pokémon that was glowing bright blue, sparks shooting off from his body.

"It's evolving," Akela noted. Serena could see the fashion designer's eyes flit all around the area, taking in the various Pokémon formations. She was likely forming a battle plan, but as soon as the honey blonde saw that, she focused exclusively upon the evolution that was taking place. Grubbin's body grew a little, elongating and becoming boxlike. It wasn't a very long process before the blue glow scattered, revealing Grubbin's evolved form.

"Ooh, a Charjabug," Maka commented. Serena filed the information away for later as she looked up to her surrounded friends.

"Clemont! Bonnie!" she called over. They looked up and waved, drawing the Pokémon's ire and splitting it between the two groups.

"Lurantis, Sweet Scent, hurry," Akela said, all business. Lurantis ran forward rapidly.

"Charjabug, use Spark and String Shot at the same time!" Clemont ordered of his newly evolved Pokémon.

"Chaja!" Charjabug scratched out. Suddenly, its whole body sparked and flickered with the voltage Serena was used to seeing, only it was even faster than usual as it rammed into the Gumshoos surrounding them. As he did so, the String Shot blasted out of his mouth, electrifying any Pokémon that touched the thin thread. Some of the Gumshoos and other assortment of Pokémon made it past, however.

"Sylveon, Fairy Wind, and Brionne, Bubblebeam!" Brionne hopped out of Serena's arms and sent her bubbles out, mixing with the pink wind that was whipped around by Sylveon's feelers. The bubbles exploded, sending all of the assailing Pokémon flying backwards. In the center of the circle of Pokémon, Dedenne, and what looked like Kukui's Gallade, were battling back even more. Lurantis couldn't seem to drop the Pokémon with Sweet Scent like before, not close enough to the center of the battle.

"Move aside," Kiawe said strongly. He sounded so commanding and authoritative, that Serena had no other preeminent thought than to grab Maka and move aside without a second to spare. Kiawe moved his arms to a crossed position before bringing them to his side and then crossing them once more. Serena really pressed Maka into her now, the girl looking at her like she thought the action was odd. Considering that Akela was also moving to the railing of the boardwalk, Serena knew it was serious. She briefly saw more trainers on the beach, an older boy fighting off the Corsola with his Gengar, before Kiawe seemed to finish his hand movements, raising them up to the air like flames. "For disturbing the order set by the great Tapu Lele and the Wela Volcano, I must set my own judgment upon you. Inferno Overdrive!"

"Sylveon, Protect!" Serena screamed. She could already feel the intense heat radiating from Marowak's flaming club. Marowak held it aloft as the blue shield wrapped around all of them and a large orb of flame was created at the bone's tip. The Bone Keeper Pokémon then fired the bone like it was some kind of bazooka. The flame shot out, growing larger and larger in size. Charjabug moved with a surprising grasp of speed back over to Clemont before the flame could hit.

Once it did, it exploded, scorching the very air around them and making Serena cough even through the Protect shield. She had only seen so many of them before, but every time she'd seen Z-Moves in action, they were beyond devastatingly powerful. The inferno raged for quite a few more seconds, garnering the attention of Nurse Joy, who stepped outside as the embers finally began to fade, leaving the Pokémon utterly defeated. Clemont didn't even seem to wait for that.

"Nurse Joy, we need your communications equipment," her friend spoke frantically. Serena peered past him to see the Pokémon scrambling away, many of those that were not unconscious having been injured from Kiawe's blistering attack. Those who hadn't been either seemed to just be regrouping.

"Up top," Nurse Joy admitted. Clemont gave her a wild look, like she had to be kidding about all of that. "We don't have problems in Heahea City, so Officer Jenny just attached the speaker to the top of the roof. I'm sure you can hack in from there."

"I'm going to have to," Clemont stated, though he didn't sound happy about it. Serena let go of Maka finally and reached forward to greet her friend with a hand on his shoulder.

"Clemont, what are you trying to do?"

"Clemont's going to create a frequency that will calm the Pokémon down by piping it through the speaker system," Bonnie chirped out. Clemont nodded. Serena breathed in once more, glad to know that Clemont had figured out a solution to the problem. Kiawe was walking past them, bending down to pick up one of the defeated Gumshoos.

"Then let me help," Serena told him. "Sylveon will lift you up and we'll do our best to keep you safe from down here, okay?"

"This is going to kill me, I swear…" Clemont said, but he was nodding in affirmation nonetheless. Serena looked to Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon doing more than her fair share. She wrapped her feelers tightly around Clemont and, with a surprising lack of force, lifted him upwards towards the roof of the Pokémon Center. Clemont reached out and grasped it, beginning to pull himself upward; Charjabug remained attached to his pack.

"Go, Clemont! Go!" Bonnie cheered her big brother on as he heaved himself onto the roof. He shakily stood, looking like he was about to give out from fear, but continuing on nonetheless to the speaker and wires that were there. Serena gave herself a moment to look at what had become of the battling Pokémon from earlier. Most of them appeared to have relaxed thanks to Lurantis' Sweet Scent calming them down, though the Gumshoos in Kiawe's arms appeared to be trying to bite him, even in its unconscious state.

"Kukui, it's unlike you to be having such a problem," Akela commented. "You and Gallade once took on the Kanto Elite Four, so it's almost shameful."

"Circumstances called for restraint, Akela. You can't hold that against me," the professor stated with a grin. "I'm not Guzma, after all."

"That is so true…he'd break down the building if it meant winning the battle," Akela laughed out, sounding at ease with the professor. It didn't surprise her anymore, nor did the statement that Miss Akela was acquainted with Guzma.

"Nurse Joy," Kiawe spoke, his booming voice calling the pinkette's attention. Serena flicked upward, noticing that Clemont had reached the speaker and was hard at work on it. Maka was watching him, as if to make sure he wouldn't fall while he attached cables to Charjabug. "This Gumshoos wasn't acting panicked. Is there anything the matter with it?"

"Hmmm," Joy commented as she took Gumshoos from Kiawe's arms. The Pokémon continued to thrash violently as Nurse Joy examined it. Even without the help of her assistants, the woman had clearly come to some kind of conclusion. "It looks like it's just let go. There's no panic or anything, but this loss of self…"

"You can tell that by looking?" Bonnie asked. Nurse Joy nodded. As she finished, Lurantis and Akela approached, the former wafting a Sweet Scent over to calm Gumshoos down. Whatever had happened to it to make it lose all restraint appeared to fade away as Gumshoos settled down.

"Let's take it and the rest inside. A lot of people are staying here until the situation calms down," the nurse suggested, turning into the packed bulk of the Pokémon Center.

"There are still other Pokémon out there," Kukui said, informing everyone calmly, "so until Clemont takes care of things and that portal goes away, we need to remain vigilant."

"Clemont, are you almost done?" Serena called out. She stepped back, Maka with her, in order to bring the inventor into full view for themselves. Charjabug's electricity appeared to be allowing Clemont to access the speaker system, a smaller device attached to it that Clemont was cycling through.

"Just about!" he called back, tweaking some things. A slight sound began to emanate from the speakers, echoing around the city. One by one, the system was taken over, emanating the sound all over town. It was starting slowly, though, and Serena only hoped it could calm all the panicked Pokémon down in time. "Is that working?"

"I think…" Serena said, though she couldn't really be sure.

"Hey, behind you!" Maka shouted desperately and suddenly. Serena, who had begun to look away from Clemont, snapped her gaze up in time to see an Ariados on the roof, leaping for Clemont with its stinger exposed. The inventor turned, and his foot slipped on the surface. He waved his hands wildly and Serena called for Sylveon to catch him. She only hoped her partner could reach him before the Ariados did.

_Grrrowor!_  The sharp roar split the air, sounding both familiar and frightening at the same time. Bonnie looked up, like she felt it was familiar as well. That's when Serena saw it, the arcing dragon of rainbow colors soaring through the sky to slam into the Ariados and knock it far away. Following in its wake shot a black and green shape, darting across the roof at incredible speed to catch Clemont and deposit him on the ground with an "oof!" Then the creature stopped, only for a brief second, but enough to make Serena and Bonnie recognize it.

"Squishy!" Bonnie yelled. Only, before she could take a step, the dog had disappeared down the streets of Heahea City, like it hadn't even been there. Bonnie's face fell, almost like she hadn't expected any of that to just happen. Serena reached out, hoping to comfort the girl when yet another sound pierced through the air. More flying Pokémon took to the skies, fleeing from the city, but not attacking due to Clemont's intervention and the calming frequency that was emanating around the area (something Serena knew was working from her own Pokémon's relaxed states).

_Nuweeeee!_  It was like nails on a chalkboard with how horrific it sounded and Serena reached up to cover her ears. Not even Yveltal's screeches of death had anything on this otherworldly noise. Serena's heart thumped loudly in her chest and she raised a shaky head upwards to the sight of the portal.

But it wasn't just the portal anymore. Something was coming out of it. Something with tentacles. Something that was heading for a completely different part of the city. Likely towards Ash…and Lillie. Serena bent down, grabbing Clemont by the collar of his shirt.

"Ow, hey, Serena!"

"Let's go! We need to find Ash!" Without another word of complaint, she dragged Clemont off with Bonnie and a confused Maka following right after her.  _Just stay safe until I get there, Ash…_

* * *

"Gladion, what are you doing here?" Ash asked, his voice echoing loudly across the clearing. On the other side, Lillie was staring at him with wide eyes, shaking her head madly. Gladion, on the other hand, had stopped, Null pawing at the ground almost viciously as it stared down at Nebby. Though, his trainer seemed to have little interest in the cloud. Nor did he answer Ash's question, causing the raven-haired trainer to feel both confused and slightly annoyed. "Gladion, tell me!"

"It's nothing," the blond boy finally snapped out. Ash drew back, feeling even more confused than before. He looked across the clearing to Lillie and then back to Gladion.

"It's not 'nothing'," Ash said dangerously, his tone dipping sterner and darker. Pikachu's cheeks sparked and Greninja crouched a little, his watery shuriken reappearing on his back.

"It is, and it doesn't concern you," the boy spat. Bit by bit, Ash's facial features were hardening at the boy's words. He turned, clearly ignoring him as he began walking back towards Lillie. Ash stepped forward.

"There's no way that's true!" Ash yelled.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed. Whether he was sensing the same kind of danger, or just that Pikachu was resonating with his own feelings, Ash was unsure.

"When we first met, you said you were looking for Lillie, right?" Ash said. He took another step forward, as if trying to engage him in conversation, hoping that it would work. "Why were you doing that? Is that the reason you're here now?"

"I told you to stay out of it!" Gladion finally snapped, almost spitting at Ash. "You're a friend, and a great battler, but right now, this matter doesn't concern you."

"Like heck it does!" Ash roared. Lillie continued to shake uncontrollably, looking so lost and confused in the moment that it almost hurt Ash to watch her act that way. "Lillie is my friend. You're my friend, too. So, just what the heck is going on? !"

"Ash…" Gladion ground out, his teeth mashing against one another, as if in warning. Ash took another step. Null growled loudly, but he didn't stop. "These are private matters, so stay the hell out of it. Null, restrain him."

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Ash cried. Any pretense of trying to have a civil conversation with the boy was gone now. Null pounced, its claw glowing the blood red color as it did so. Before it could reach Pikachu, he'd flung the sparking ball of electricity at his foe. It impacted on Null's face mask, but hardly slowed it down. Ash set off running for Gladion, who also ran for the prone Lillie. "Greninja, use Aerial Ace!"

"Ninja!" Greninja shouted, quickly and swiftly closing the gap between himself and Null, slamming down on the helmet with a fist. At the same moment, Ash dove for Gladion, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

"Get off!" Gladion roared. "You don't need to be involved!"

"I already  _am_  involved! Why are you after Lillie? What does she matter to you?" Ash demanded. Gladion still refused to give him an answer, kicking at him. Ash could only dodge so many before the free foot managed to smash into his nose, throwing him off. "Gladion!"

"Just stay  _put_!" Gladion demanded. Ash wasn't one to listen, though, flipping onto his feet with a sense of rage flowing through him. Rage that Gladion seemed to be rather violently going after Lillie. Rage that he wasn't saying anything to answer any of Ash's questions.

"Maybe if you tell me what's going on…" Ash groaned out, putting his fists up like he was ready for a fight. "If I'm your friend and you trust me, then-"

"Just shut  _up_!" Gladion screamed, spit flying from his mouth. "You're a friend, but I already told you: I don't trust anyone! Now stay the hell out of this and let me do what I came here for." Ash's hands fell, his face going blank at Gladion's words. His body moved on autopilot, grabbing for his four remaining pokeballs and sending them to the ground. They popped open, revealing his entire team behind him, glaring menacingly at the boy. Gladion stopped and briefly looked back, his eyes only flickering up to the portal in the sky for a second. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I won't let you hurt Lillie," Ash said. He heard himself, sounding so cold, so biting and harsh. Yet he couldn't bring himself to care. Gladion was his friend, but in his eyes he could see confusion, the same confusion that beset Alain, nearly drove a region to its knees…and was surely going to hurt one of his friends. He was tired of people never thinking of anyone but themselves and causing so much damage. "You won't touch her."

A howling wind suddenly passed through the area and Ash took a single step forward towards Gladion. The blond boy whipped around and lunged for Lillie, his expression insistent and forceful. Ash and his Pokémon set off as time seemed to slow, each in a slight race to see who could reach Lillie first. Ash or Gladion. Protector or pursuer. Friend or…whatever Gladion was to Lillie.

_Peeeeeeeeeeeeew!_  The cry was harsh, high pitched, and almost discordant. The trees suddenly rippled with a strange blast of wind, before just as suddenly slowing in their movements. It felt like everything had turned from vibrant color to a muted gray, and Ash almost tripped forward, nearly landing into a practically frozen Gladion. In fact, now that Ash looked, the only things in the clearing that hadn't utterly frozen in their movements were himself, his Pokémon, Rotom, Lillie…and Nebby.

"What…what is going on, bzzt?" Rotom's voice called out. Ash moved his hand forward, as if reaching out towards Gladion. Upon closer inspection, he could see that Gladion was, in fact, still moving, just at an immensely slower rate. "This phenomenon…"

"Pika…" Pikachu said in awe, himself. He walked over to where Null was frozen, touching his tail briefly against the Pokémon. While he did so, Rotom moved to take pictures of it, as though cataloging it for his data. Ash's breath came and went, steadying the pulse that was pounding inside his head.

"N-Nebby…" Lillie's voice called. Ash retracted his hand, looking over at the girl who had fallen, clutching to Nebby. The little cloud appeared to be exhausted, drooping within her arms. Ash forced himself to swallow and he abandoned Gladion, skirting around the edges of the frozen boy to reach Lillie. "Nebby, what's wrong?"

"Lillie," Ash breathed out, staring down at her. Her face wasn't visible, obscured by the floppy hat she was always wearing, but at his words, she looked up. There were tears. Tears of desperation and frustration and outright fear resting there. Then she spoke two words, two words that told Ash what he needed to do, needed to ignore, needed to act on.

"Help me."

"Okay," was his only response. He reached down, offering his hand to Lillie and she took it. He pulled her up and she gripped his vest, like a lost child looking for comfort. He could understand, in some way, how she felt, but he knew that the most important thing for now was getting as far away from Gladion as possible. The anger he had felt towards the boy dodging his questions was gone, replaced only with the need to help Lillie. "Let's go, you guys."

"Yes…" Rotom said, pulling away from Null. Ash looked to the Pokédex, and it seemed to understand the message that he was conveying. "Rotom will find Serena and the others to let them know Ash has found Lillie."

"Thanks," Ash breathed out, wrapping an arm around the shaking Lillie to support her. His Pokémon moved closer, acting as a vanguard of sorts. Rotom flew off through the trees to go find the others while Ash continued his way out of the clearing. As he did so, he looked back to Gladion and Null's frozen forms. His free hand formed a fist.  _Gladion…why?_

He couldn't understand the boy's actions before him. Why he was after Lillie. Why he wouldn't tell him anything and dodged the question. All he could think of was the single phrase "private matters". He knew well enough about  _those_ kinds of things, and though he wanted to ask Lillie, assuming she knew anything, he knew that getting her away was the most important thing. Still, he couldn't help but look back towards the boy he considered a rival and…a friend. They shared a connection between them; they had clasped each other's hands. But now that hand was slipping away, and the connection was breaking, no matter how much Ash tried to reach out and take hold.

Shaking his head, Ash looked away and continued to carry Lillie out of the clearing and back onto the streets. They were emptier now, and Ash could see some of the confused and agitated Pokémon beginning to calm down, an unfamiliar ringing in the air, even though still others were shaking in fear. Looking down the street, Ash could see the plaza outside the hotel and determined to make it there as quickly as possible. His Pokémon all faced front except for Passimian, who took up the rear in case any rogue Pokémon decided to strike back at them from behind.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Lillie was repeating over and over, clutching Nebby desperately. Ash wasn't quite sure who she was saying it to, but didn't respond, not knowing the words to comfort her. After a couple of minutes of slow walking, they at last reached the plaza, setting foot onto what now appeared to be a rather ruined area.

Ash froze, partially because Greninja did, and partially because he sensed it himself. He let go of Lillie, the blonde stumbling into the plaza. His gaze looked up at the portal, thrumming and pulsing with a dreadful, sickening feeling.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu yelled. He looked disturbed, as did the rest of his Pokémon. For a second, Ash felt a fog enter his mind, telling him to let go, telling him to attack without restraint. He shook his head, refusing, and when he looked up at the portal, he could see something emerging from within. "Chaaa…"

"Pikachu, everyone, get close," Ash said, choking the words out. His Pokémon closed ranks, Rockruff quivering near his feet while Greninja and Passimian went out in front.

_Nuweeeee!_  The otherworldly shriek invaded his ears, causing his feet to almost give out. He wasn't frightened, but the sound was so consuming that it took a while before Ash finally saw just what had managed to crawl its way out from the portal in the sky. It was some sort of creature, completely unlike any Pokémon that Ash had seen, to the point he didn't even think it  _was_  one. Its movements were eerie, swaying its tentacles from side to side, the clear bulb that made up its head showcasing the portal through it. There was no mouth or eyes or nose…or any feature. It was like a blank canvas, and only the longer that Ash stared at it did he start to feel like it looked familiar. Like it looked the same as…Lillie.

"What…?" Ash asked, but he couldn't fully ask his question, even as his eyes turned to look at Lillie. Nebby was slumped in her arms, and the girl couldn't even move, frozen in abject fear and horror. He wanted to say something, even if he believed it mere coincidence.

_Neeeeeee!_  The second shriek met his ears and he turned in time to see that the creature had spotted them below, like it was actively looking for all of them. With yet another shriek, one of its tentacles flew out. It showed surprising mobility and reach moving forward.

"Greninja, use Cut!" Ash yelled. Greninja siphoned the water off into his kunai and moved forward, blocking the sudden attack. Pain like scorching blisters erupted up Ash's hands and arms, forcing him to grip at them. A sudden noise, one that even he couldn't identify, left Ash's mouth, but he knew one very important thing. "Lillie…run."

"Ah…ah…" Lillie was vocalizing, her trembling feet preventing her from running. The only thing keeping her grounded was her near death grip on Nebby.

"Lillie!" Ash screamed, finally earning her attention. She stopped gazing at the creature in the sky and set her green eyes back upon him. "Get to Serena. Now!"

"Ah…r-right…" Lillie gasped out and she slowly turned around. The blonde looked like she was about to lose her balance, but righted herself and began to run across the plaza. Ash faced back forward in time for Greninja to slice upward, breaking off the attack. The beast's tentacles pulled back, shrieking loudly. At the tips of each one of its little tentacles glowed a bright red light. Then they all blasted outward, slamming into buildings and trees, blowing holes in each of them.

"Guys, is everyone ready for a fight?" Ash asked, a grim expression on his face. He set his mind straight, knowing it'd be no good to let that fog inside his head again. His Pokémon all rallied at the call, stepping forward to do battle. "Good. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt, and Greninja, Water Shuriken! Whatever that thing is, it's dangerous and we need to drive it back!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed before summoning his electricity to surround his body before firing it off in a raging arc. At the same moment, Greninja grabbed the Water Shuriken from his body and tossed it into the midst of the Thunderbolt. They flew at the stationary target which had just finished its beam attack. It stared at the incoming attacks without moving, or so Ash assumed.

The two attacks combined forces as they sailed in. Then the beast vanished from existence, appearing like a sudden flicker to the side of both attacks, making them roll off harmlessly into the sky. Ash's eyes widened; was it too fast, or had it literally vanished from reality for a moment, like it was difficult to hold itself here? Its tentacles were on the move again and a sudden pulsing wave thrummed out, purple in color. Trees blasted in the wind, including those that Ash and Lillie had escaped from. More rooves crumbled from the sudden attack. Ash grit his teeth; he couldn't let its assault continue.

"Trumbeak, use Drill Peck while Dartrix uses Pluck!" There was no time for training a new move in the crisis, something that Trumbeak understood as she began to spin. Dartrix was right alongside her, blue light streaking from his beak in streams. They were heading right for the odd creature, avoiding the pulsing waves. "While they're doing that, use Double Team, Passimian! Barrage it with Shadow Balls while Rockruff uses Rock Throw!"

"Rrruff!" Rockruff growled out, the stones on her neck flying out and coalescing. While she did so, multiple copies of Passimian appeared about the plaza, each of them taking their berries and making them swirl with shadows. At once, both of Ash's Pokémon lobbed the projectiles just as Trumbeak and Dartrix reached the tentacle creature.

"Berrrra!" Trumbeak cried out, slamming into the creature's, well, Ash presumed it was its head, while the Shadow Ball and Rock Throw slammed into its side. Ash was glad it hadn't phased out like it did before, but the creature didn't even look mildly annoyed. Dartrix was still making his assault, aiming for the creature's chest. Ash's fists clenched, hoping for the strike to make a difference.

_Nuuueee…_ followed the creature's sharp cry, and before Ash could call Dartrix back, the beast's tentacles grabbed ahold of him, wrapping tightly. Ash grit his teeth. The creature acted quickly, its tentacles enveloped in a purple glow and goo, soon smothering Dartrix with no remorse. The Blade Quill Pokémon began to sag, losing all energy.

"Bera! Turum!" Trumbeak squawked out angrily, as if not liking to see Dartrix in such a prone position. Ash didn't even need to give the order as Trumbeak opened her mouth and sent blasting out the golden soundwaves that slammed into the creature. It hardly seemed affected, perhaps because it didn't even have any ears. Two of its tentacles raised upward, that earlier red glow coalescing at their tips before firing off, this time not haphazardly, but right for Trumbeak.

"Dodge!" Ash screamed. Trumbeak flapped, attempting to get away, only to be slammed by the beam. She screamed in pain and began spiraling downward, unable to pick herself up. At the same time, the creature used its tentacles to throw Dartrix straight towards the pavement. Ash took out their pokeballs just as the two impacted with the ground. Grimacing, he returned them. "Thanks, you two."

_Eeeeeeee!_  The creature continued to shriek violently. A sudden aura, almost similar to those Ash had seen around the Totem Pokémon blasted outward. It was like the creature's strength had doubled, or even tripled. He could feel that kind of electric strength hanging in the air.

"We can't let this battle go on…" Ash whispered aloud. "Rockruff, get moving and use Rock Polish!"

"Rock!" Rockruff barked out, her paws scampering across the broken tiles while her body began to spark blue. They'd just have to be faster than the opponent at present. Ash watched and waited as Rockruff leapt back and forth, trying to confuse the beast in the sky. Just as he thought it was working, Ash ordered a Bite. Rockruff ran at a tree, kicking her hindlegs at the trunk and then bounding up into the air.

"Passimian, go and help him get moving!" Ash ordered, knowing his whole remaining team would have to work together. Passimian charged across the street, getting right behind Rockruff and punching at her. Rockruff charged straight for the deadly creature, maw opened wide. Another shriek, and Ash flinched. Once more, the creature's tentacles snapped out, even faster than before, as Rockruff's Bite simply phased through, like it wasn't there. As soon as the beast had a hold on Rockruff, the purple wave of energy pulsed outward, battering the poor Puppy Pokémon before she fell. "Rockruff! Pikachu, create some cover with Electro Ball!"

"Pika!" Pikachu snarled out. The creature dropped Rockruff as the aura once more flared around its body. Ash whipped out her pokeball and called her back before more damage could be done. Pikachu turned around, orb after orb of electricity being created at the tip of his tail. He then began flinging them off wildly. "Chu pi! Chu pi! Pi! Pi! Pi!"

"Passimian, Greninja, get moving towards its sides with Brick Break and Cut!" Ash roared, sweeping his hand outward. Both Pokémon went on the move, affording Ash the brief chance to look around. There was no one nearby, leaving the entire battle up to him, even as it was growing more desperate, the creature beginning to focus more on him than anything else. Passimian climbed up a wall nearby, one that was still intact, as he leapt for the floating creature, still swaying back and forth like it was taunting him.

"Passi-passimian!" Passimian cried out, his berry first. The creature turned, tentacles curling inward, as if waiting for him to get caught.

"Hit it on the head!" Ash ordered, clenching his fist. The Electro Ball from Pikachu slammed into their opponent's side, distracting it for just a minute. Passimian's glowing hand struck it on its bulbous head, flipping upward to avoid the wrath of its tentacles. "Nice one! Now Greninja!"

"Nin!" Greninja shouted just as he struck into the creature's back with his kunai. This time, it didn't phase itself out or dodge the strike, for all the good that the attack actually did. Ash could quickly see why: it was pulsing again before the purple wave blasted out again. Another roof was torn off and a palm tree snapped in two. Perhaps most importantly, for the trainer battling, was that Passimian was struck, the force behind all the power-ups guaranteeing that it was the only hit he could take.

"You've done a great job. Return, Passimian! Greninja, kick off with Aerial Ace!" As he called for the attack, Ash mimicked his Pokémon extending his leg out and kicking. Greninja did the same, using his glowing leg strength to gain distance from the creature that seemed to be endlessly strengthening itself. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack to gain some speed!"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu cried and he blasted forward, avoiding some of the broken tiles and rubble. The white light streaked behind him as he ran, picking up more and more speed. Then Ash stepped forward, knowing it was down to his two older partners, and called for an Iron Tail. Pikachu leapt at the last second, letting the white light vanish as his tail stiffened, swinging up towards the creature.

"Greninja, get ready…" Ash said quietly, but Greninja still nodded despite the distance. The beast above phased out as Iron Tail swiped through harmlessly. Then its tentacles began moving in once more. Ash grinned darkly; it was now moving as he had expected. "Greninja, let's stop it! Use Double Team and Water Shuriken!"

"Gren!" Greninja cried. With all the rapidity he could muster, Greninja created copies of himself while the real one leapt into the air. He grabbed the shuriken off his back and all of his copies disappeared, absorbed into the blade that grew larger before he hurled it at the foe in front of them. The tentacles were just about to reach Pikachu when the blade struck, blasting it to the side. Pikachu didn't stop, swinging around in a counter-clockwise direction to slam into the beast, knocking it down towards the ground and a waiting Greninja.

"Hit it with Aerial Ace!" Ash roared, punching forward. Greninja leaned back before springing forward, aiming right for it with his glowing fists.

_Nuweeeeee!_  It shrieked horribly before Greninja could reach it. There was just a brief moment, a second of pause in Greninja's movements. The beast took immediate advantage of it, all of its tentacles angled at the Ninja Pokémon. Two fired off purple streams that soaked Greninja, making Ash feel slimy as his Pokémon dropped to a knee. The rest all fired off those same red beams as before, colliding with the frog's chest.

"Gahhhhhh!" Ash screamed, the sound ripping at his throat. He bent over, the pain searing against his chest. Even after everything he had endured from battling in Kalos, that had to have been one of the single most painful moments of his life; like a steel bar had been jammed through his chest. It was a wonder that Greninja was still standing. "Hah…hah…"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, watching as Ash tried to recover his breath from the attack. Had it actually struck him personally, he had to wonder if his ribs would have broken from the blast. Regardless, Greninja and Pikachu both seemed capable enough to keep fighting…which meant he could, too.

"Together…" he breathed out. "We'll do it together! Greninja, just like with the Megalith, plant your Water Shuriken on it! Pikachu, let your Thunderbolt loose once he does!"

"Pi!" Pikachu agreed. Greninja didn't answer verbally, jumping off the nearby broken tree and sailing for the beast. It turned, as if ready to capture him like it had his comrades. Greninja whipped out his giant shuriken as the tentacles moved in. Just as they were about to reach, he sliced outwards like it was a sword, knocking them away before driving upward, planting the shuriken perfectly in the center. "Chuuuuuuuuu!"

"Go for it!" Ash yelled. The electricity flew upward, attracted to the watery point and slamming into it while Greninja fell towards the ground. Soon, the electricity consumed the beast, causing it to twitch and writhe in agony in the air. The shrieks were even louder than before, making it impossible for Ash to even think. Pikachu ceased his attack, Ash hoping they had at least put a halt to its attack.

"Ninj!" Greninja suddenly cried. Ash didn't need to look to know; he felt himself being squeezed tightly, air being practically sucked out of his lungs. He felt like he was about to pop, but it was nothing compared to what happened next. The tentacles spread out, those that were free, and fired the red beams everywhere they could reach. Some slammed into the hotel while others hit Pikachu or the ground next to him. Then one slammed into Greninja's arm. Ash screamed once more and felt like his arm was simply hanging limply at his side from the pain. He gasped, falling to his knees from the unbearable pain searing across his entire body. Greninja was thrown back, collapsing on the ground as the water floated up from his body, reverting his form.

"What is…with this thing…?" Ash gasped out, trying to retain consciousness. There was so much pain. His body felt so battered. So broken. He had no more moves to make. Yet he knew he couldn't quit. He had to stand; had to move forward.

His eyes widened, looking towards an equally exhausted Pikachu, who stared straight back at him. There was nothing left for it…they were out of options. Ash closed his eyes, standing up shakily, but with great purpose. They were on their last legs, and they knew it. "Pi…ka…"

"Pikachu…" Ash breathed. His eyes looked down at the glittering Z-Ring on his wrist, warm against his skin. He lifted his hands upward while Pikachu did the same. There was nothing for it. Just a desperate move… _No…_ Ash realized,  _I'm not desperate. I'm doing this because we want to. Because it's the only way to move forward._  It wasn't about being one with his Pokémon; that part was easy. It was about digging deep in his soul for that purpose. "We'll put it all on the line. Every emotion. Every move. We'll…we'll protect everyone.  _That's_  what  _our_  Z-Moves are for. Not for us…but everyone!"

"Chu pika!" Pikachu yelled as they finally moved their broken bodies to cross their wrists together. A stern expression flashed over both of their faces as they brought those crossed wrists to the side. Ash's arm flew out, and then they formed a box around Ash's top and bottom. The energy began to flow, brimming around both trainer and Pokémon powerfully, emanating from the white glow on his Z-Ring.

"Let's gooooo!" Ash roared, feeling the power and the strength to protect everyone around them flowing through him. "BREAKNECK BLITZ!"

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu screamed and he slammed his feet upon the ground. His little body, glowing a blinding light, began to pick up speed, even more speed than his Quick Attack could ever offer. The remainder of the road was kicked up, pulverized into dust from Pikachu's powerful charge as the dust billowed out behind him. Then, Pikachu leapt upward, almost spinning from his powerful strike. The creature attempted to move, finally looking somewhat tired, but Pikachu was too fast. "Pi! Pi! Pi! Pi! Chuuuuuuuuuu PIKA!"

With a powerful slam, one whose sound echoed and resonated around the entire city, Pikachu struck the beast, driving it upward. It shrieked, but Pikachu didn't stop, not until they were halfway into the air. Then the impact fully exploded as gravity took over and began to pull Pikachu down. It didn't matter for the strange creature that had attacked them. It was sent jettisoning through the air at a great speed, towards the portal from whence it came. Pikachu fell back down and Ash ran forward, sliding to catch his best friend in his arms. He looked up, just in time to see the creature fly up into the rift, twitching. For a second, Ash thought the creature was looking at him, but then it seemed to vanish beyond a veil. The sky rippled again, the strange portal slowly fading away, soon after replaced with blue sky. Things grew quiet.

Ash exhaled, his body teetering slightly. He looked down to Pikachu, both of them exhausted from their exertion. Yet he smiled.

"We did it, Pikachu," he said. They had finally mastered Z-Moves. Had finally found their meaning in using them. It wasn't a complete answer to the question he felt had been asked so long ago, but he felt it was good enough. Ash felt himself falling back, exhaustion taking its toll on him. He didn't hit concrete, though, falling instead into soft arms.

"You're so reckless…" Ash smiled, recognizing his girlfriend's voice anywhere. "But you're okay."

"Is…Lillie…?" Ash asked, turning his head to look up. He caught the sight of Serena's blue eyes for just a second. She looked to have slight tears, gripping him carefully, but he could see her relief.

"I'm…I'm okay…" Lillie said, stepping into his vision range, along with Clemont, Bonnie, Maka and all their Pokémon. Ash continued to smile at that before he felt Pikachu slip away in his arms.

"Good," he said, feeling a little better emotionally. Silence met his ears now, the city having finally calmed down from the sudden disaster that had struck it. That peace lulled Ash, making his eyes begin to close. "I'm glad you're okay. Now…I'm gonna take…a little nap."

"Chu…" Pikachu agreed as they slipped off. The last thing Ash felt were Serena's lips touching to his forehead before he slipped away into a state of rest. The battle at Heahea City was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This was probably the darkest chapter in the Alola Trilogy so far…ironic that it comes at the end of the climax for Tropics. Of course, quite a few things happened, like Charjabug evolving, some of the Pokémon not being in a panicked state but more of this letting go of any restraint. Then we have Squishy! Or is it? Perhaps it was just a figment. A flash. Nevertheless, the battle reached a fever pitch in that moment.
> 
> Ash's portion was the most important, however. A bit on the very reticent Gladion here. Naturally, there is a connection between Ash and Gladion forged through battle and the realization that both have lost their fathers, but now Gladion's actions, whatever purpose they may have been for, have caused that connection to strain. I know many of you were thinking and hoping his connection to Lillie would be revealed to Ash, but trust me when I say it is not yet time for that, though Lillie might shed some light next chapter. And then the battle. The purpose of this was showing, in some part, how even after the intensity that the Kalos Trilogy displayed, this thing feels like it's on a whole other level, needing the power of finally mastering Z-Moves to win. Naturally, it came from Ash choosing to master Z-Moves for everyone else, rather than himself, that made it possible.
> 
> We have one last chapter to go on Tropics, so please stick around! Until then, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.


	26. An Omen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter of Tropics! Funnily enough, oneshots included, it's the 100th chapter of the Ancienverse! Let's celebrate it in grand style! Chapter 26 time!

Chapter 26

An Omen

"Well…that wasn't fun…" Jessie's sigh of exhaustion echoed across to James as he laid there, staring up at the sky, tinged with red and orange. It had been quite the day for all of them. Next to him, Meowth was rolled up into a ball, already taking a nap despite having done next to nothing in the actual battle. James wasn't one to blame him in that moment. He did sit up, though.

"It looks like the city took a real beating…" he observed, casting his gaze over the brightly lit Heahea City. It had certainly taken damage in the assault that had been made by the rampaging Pokémon. Houses were kicked in, roads were ripped up and trees were toppled over. All in all, the place had taken a rather nasty beating. Perhaps not as bad as Ancien City in Kalos (especially when considering that the people here still had their electricity), but still something that would take at least a couple days to patch up.

"And to think I thought we'd be celebrating and eating!" Jessie snapped, folding her arms across her chest. James nodded.

"Wobba…" Wobbuffet quietly concurred, himself still splayed out on the grassy hill that overlooked the city, next to Meowth. James sighed.

"The real question is…what now?" he asked of his magenta-haired companion.

"Portals in the sky, rampaging Pokémon, and whatever the heck that freaky thing the twerp fought was…" Jessie muttered out. James' head turned to look at her, wondering just what she was really thinking about from this entire mess. "Ugh! This is way too complicated!"

"Yer tellin' me…" Meowth spoke up, clearly waking up from his cat nap to join in on the conversation. James hadn't even heard him get up, but here he was, already padding forward to the edge of the hill to look out at the city. He, too, had folded his arms in a surly expression. "Dat was one real doozy of an event. Makes ya wonder what caused it."

"It was that weird, freaky portal, wasn't it?" Jessie snapped. Meowth refused to answer, while James placed a finger on his chin, tapping it. He wanted to say that Jessie was right, but there had been something even more odd about what had emerged from  _within_  the portal. For a moment, he had felt his mind fog up, like it was telling him to turn away from Team Rocket and move to help the citizens further. Judging from the glazed expressions on his companions' faces at the time, they appeared to have experienced much the same thing.

"I wonder if it was that creature, instead…" James noted. That drew both Meowth and Jessie's attentions. "You felt it, too, right? That weird fog."

"I thought I was just hungry," Jessie countered.

"Yeah, we didn't get the chance to have a celebratory dinner," Meowth noted. James frowned at the notion, wondering, in some way, how they could be thinking about dinner after what they had just seen and experienced. Then his own stomach rumbled. "Is there any mention of dat weird ting in our databases?"

"None at all," the blue-haired man sighed. He had spent time looking for any mention of the strange creature, but had found next to nothing. "I have no idea what it could be."

"So we have nothing to report to the boss, then," Jessie sighed out. She now flopped upon the grass, looking up at the stars emerging in the sky. The entire area was starting to darken, with the hill becoming awash in night, and James flopped back as well. "We're really stuck."

"Not quite," he pointed out to her. "You managed to win the Heahea Lei! That counts for something, right?" Jessie didn't answer right away, though even without looking over, he could tell that she was smiling. Truth be told, James felt that Jessie looked right at home on the stage, battling the twerpette, and he adored being in the audience, cheering her on. For a brief second, he thought of suggesting that as a career path if they ever wanted to leave Team Rocket, but quickly dismissed it as a foolish fantasy.

"I suppose that's something…" Jessie finally stated. She threw her hands behind her head. "So, what are our options now?"

"Well, we can always go back to nabbin' da twoip's Pikachu," Meowth suggested. Wobbuffet somewhat seemed to agree with this idea, though James felt he may have just been snoring.

"That's so passé," the magenta-haired woman waved off flippantly. "And I'd rather  _not_  be on the receiving end of one of those Z-Moves, thank you very much."

"I second that!"

"Wobba!"

"Fine, buncha sissies…" Meowth muttered out. Jessie kicked her leg, missing Meowth and hitting James in the shin. "Well, we can track Team Skull, or ARC, or try to look at dat strange creature and get all da data on it we can for da boss."

Meowth's last idea seemed to hit the best idea amongst all of them. ARC was on a completely different island now, and though they had no ties to Akala outside of the twerps anymore, James still didn't feel like it was best to pursue them after having been so thoroughly routed before. Team Skull didn't feel like an issue that needed solving, either. Which really left only one area of expertise…

"I guess we should look for info on that creature," he ended up agreeing. "But let's do it  _without_  actually encountering one. If it took everything even the twerp had…"

"I agree with James!" Jessie snapped quickly, like she was putting her foot down on the issue completely. "There  _is_  that lab in the city, right? The twerpette had mentioned something about it. Maybe they could help out and we could have a better clue from there."

"There are also ruins on the island," James suggested, a gleeful grin beginning to stretch his face. "Maybe we could pilfer some prized Pokémon while we get some temporary jobs before the twerps head to Ula'ula. Like you said, Jessie, following the twerp always leads us to the source of things!"

"Well, den we're decided! Tomorrow, Team Rocket's takin' jobs in da city!" Meowth said, raising his paw into the air. Jessie and James reached over to enclose their own hands over it. "But for now…

"Team Rocket's dozing off again!"

* * *

He was running down a hallway, dark and dingy, unable to see what was in front of him. People were crying, screaming around him, but no matter how much he tried to reach for their hands as he ran, he simply couldn't grab them. They'd always slip just out of his reach, leaving him panting and breathless, but continuing on. He had to reach the end of the hallway, where the light was…where she was.

Only her back was to him.

"No! Turn back!" he screamed, hoping she'd listen to him; hear him out. She didn't. In fact, she was walking forward, away from him. It frightened him. Others were turning back, too. He suddenly felt sluggish…weak. "Please…"

It was a last desperate plea, and she turned her head. He stopped, but not because he reached her. There was almost this look of disappointment, maybe disdain. His hands trembled and he reached forward, wanting to feel her, touch her. But she backed up. Why?

"Please, don't…" he whispered out, like he was laying his heart bare. He felt so weak, like a child, besieged by Spearow, unable to do anything but yell at them, declaring he would become a Pokémon Master.  _But why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?_  "Don't leave me…"

She didn't say a word, simply continuing to watch him a moment along with his hand that was falling to the floor. His weakness felt like it was consuming him, drowning in questions that had no answers. He reached one more time, and this time she did speak. "Who are you?"

"What…?" he voice cracked, wondering why she would ask him that. Surely she knew who he was. Or maybe, she wasn't asking him that question for herself. He couldn't figure it out as she turned away, like she didn't like who he was.

_Who are you?_

"No, wait…"

_You've become a wonderful Pokémon Master._

"Please, hold on! We promised!"

_Why do you want to be a Pokémon Master?_

"I'm still me! I'm me!" His words were ringing hollow in his own head, that dark corridor becoming an abyss that was absolutely consuming him. Questions he'd never even thought of before beginning to take hold in his mind without mercy.

_What is a Pokémon Master?_

"Serena! Stop!"

_Who are you?_

"I'm me!" Ash's eyes snapped open, breathing heavily. He was heaving, feeling the taste of vomit in his mouth for a second. Bright lights assailed him, making him squint a little before sound and touch slowly returned to him. With it, came the vivid dream, one that was sending his mind reeling. He almost panicked for a second until he realized that his head was resting against something soft and warm. He turned, realizing he was looking at Serena's chest before his eyes traveled upwards.

Sure enough, his girlfriend's soft features were resting above him, her eyes closed and a little bit of drool dripping from her lips. He couldn't help but feel that she looked rather cute in that position. The vivid dream returned to him for a second, of her running away from him. His hand reached out, touching his fingers to her lips. She was real. She was here. The dream was replaced with a memory…a memory of power flooding through him and Pikachu. He was suddenly filled with determination and euphoria that kicked out the disturbing dream, causing it to amount to nothing.

"You're drooling, Serena," he finally spoke, his voice rather groggy. The girl jumped at his voice, causing him to jump as well, wincing a bit. Clearly the pain from his synchronization with Greninja was still present, even if faded.

"Ash, you're awake. Feeling better?" she asked. Her voice was quieter and Ash wondered if she, too, had been dreaming of something that was upsetting. If she was, she hid it very well with a smile, just as Ash finally realized where he was: the Pokémon Center.

"A little," he chuckled out, sitting up now. There was a slight wince as he did so, but Serena supported him. In between the two of them was Serena's egg, glowing a slight white to mix in with the blue snowflakes. Now that he was adjusted, Ash could see how busy the Center was, accented by the darkness of night outside. In particular, he saw Maka going around, alongside a very reticent Lillie. His gaze darkened.

"What's on your mind?" Serena asked. Ash wasn't sure what to say; the memory of what had happened with Gladion was cemented powerfully in his mind. The boy refusing to answer why he had been after Lillie, saying nothing but "private matters"…whatever that meant. Ash had to wonder what had happened to him after Nebby's interference. He shook his head.

"Nothing," came the response. He didn't want to worry her over whatever his…well, he wasn't sure what to term Gladion as anymore. The situation didn't much concern her, after all. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"Just fine," Serena responded, reaching across to take his hand. It was a nice and simple moment of peace. At the very least, he felt relaxed, sitting there, even if he could feel the tension from Serena's hand. She didn't say anything, but he wondered if she was taking her loss hard still, or if it was something else, like the danger he'd put himself in.

"Hey, where are Pikachu and the others?" he finally asked, realizing that his little buddy was missing. He glanced around the busy Pokémon Center, not able to spot him. The one thing he did see was Lillie placing herself on a chair and staring down at her bag and pokeball. He thought of asking her all about Gladion, and why the boy was pursuing her, but the mere implication that he could be one of the "bad guys" she had spoken of caused a lump in his throat that precluded the action.

"Clemont and Bonnie are over at the lab," Serena informed him. "With everything that happened over the strange portal in the sky, I think they wanted some answers. As for Pikachu and the others…"

"Pikapi!" The cry of his very best friend drew his attention, prompting Ash to stand without a second thought. Over by the entrance to the emergency room was Pikachu, in front of all of his Pokémon, even Greninja.

"You guys are all right!" he cried. He let go of Serena's hand and ran for them as they all rushed for him. In seconds, they had collapsed in a pile amongst one another, laughing and smiling. No matter how roughed up they had been in the battle against that thing, each and every one of them looked as good as new. Hugging tightly to Pikachu and Rockruff, Ash felt relief. Though, with that relief came the more foreboding thought about their true physical state…

"Nurse Joy put a rush on them," Serena told him sweetly, having gotten up from her seat to join him. Ash nodded his head, feeling Passimian bump his forehead against his in relief. "Wasn't easy with all of the injured Pokémon around the city."

"Well, I'm glad," Ash said, finally managing to pull himself up from his Pokémon. They all looked at him with fierce gazes that Ash emulated before returning them to their pokeballs. Pikachu leapt back on his shoulder. "Are you and your Pokémon okay?"

"They're just fine. Clemont's are even better," she told him with a wink. Ash tilted his head at that, confused by what she could mean, but she only offered a giggle as response. "We should probably go see them, though. I'm sure they'll all want to know that you're okay."

"Yeah," Ash agreed, reaching up to scratch behind Pikachu's ears softly. Serena watched the scene with a smile, though Ash thought she wasn't smiling in her eyes. There was something disturbing her there. "Serena…are you sure everything's okay?"

"Y-yes," his girlfriend expressed. It took a second longer but she ultimately sighed. "Just thinking about the Ceremony, I guess. It's nothing, really…at least nothing that concerning, I think."

"Oh…well…" Ash moved his hand to now scratch the side of his face. "Well, I'm sure it'll be okay, and you can always talk to me. Besides, you're still the best Performer I know."

"Right," Serena breathed with a small grin before turning to the exit from the Center. "I'll meet you outside, okay?" Ash nodded, and once her back was turned, he frowned a little. Clearly the matter of the Ceremony, whatever had happened to her mind there, was disturbing her more than she let on, but he knew better than to force the issue. Serena was strong that way. Instead, he decided to look towards the girl who appeared far more conflicted, her fingers rubbing over the pokeball in her hands.

"Lillie."

"Ah," issued the sound from the blonde's mouth. She looked up, almost a little fearful. "Ash…"

"You're okay?" She nodded, her braids flopping back and forth. He considered, once more, asking her about Gladion, but decided, instead, to go with something else. "So…I don't know what that whole thing with you and Gladion was about, and you don't have to tell me. I know that things can be complicated…but…we're here if you need us, you know?"

"I know…It's just…he was like a ghost from the past. Like someone I knew a long time ago, I think…but I'm not sure if…" she sighed out, giving an especially heavy one at the end. Ash nodded; she seemed just as unaware about Gladion's reason for pursuit as he was. At her feet, Nebby appeared to be resting still. Ash had to wonder how the little guy had summoned so much power to do just what he did, practically bending reality that way, but he also considered it as relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things, at least for the moment. "I guess I'm just doing some thinking."

"All right," he said, nodding his own head this time. Ash considered her a moment before reaching out and putting a hand over hers. "Do you want to come with us to the lab?"

"No. I'd like to think here a little longer, if that's okay." Ash had no problem with that. He patted her hand once more and turned, all set to leave the Center and join up with his other friends. As he approached the exit, he realized that Serena was speaking with Maka, the latter girl wearing her hair up and her bag on her shoulders.

"You're leaving tonight?" Serena asked of the girl, right as Ash finished approaching.

"Planning to," Maka responded. "I'll stick around a little more to see if there's some way I can help in the city, but the police and people seem to have a lot of it taken care of. I've heard there's another Ceremony to the north, past Lush Jungle, so I'll be heading there."

"Sounds like a plan," Serena commented, before reaching her hand out. "Take care, Maka."

"You, too." Maka grabbed Serena's hand and then pulled her in for a tight hug. When the two separated, Maka just offered a wave and went dashing off down the street, in the direction opposite of the lab they'd be heading to. Ash watched her go, and as he thought about Ceremonies, a different thought struck his brain.

"Ah, what about Kiawe? Is he still here?" Ash asked. Serena rotated a bit, not answering him, but jerking her head towards the lab. Ash received her answer loud and clear, recognizing it as confirmation that the captain was likely at their destination. She set off in front of him, clearly leading the way. Ash and Pikachu just shrugged and followed, closing the relatively short distance to the brightly lit laboratory. There were a few people outside, but not too many, and they seemed to be standing around, waiting for orders.

"We're here!" Serena called as the door to the lab whooshed open, allowing them all inside.

To Ash's genuine surprise, the place was really packed. Then again, with the number of people that were there, he really shouldn't have been so shocked about it. The first to react to their entrance were Clemont, Bonnie and Rotom. All three (well, as much as Rotom could) grinned at him.

"You're finally awake!" Bonnie said, earning a nod from her brother at it. Ash raised his hand behind his head and began to laugh a little at it.

"Sorry if I worried you," Ash said. As he did so, he saw something crawling around on Clemont's back, boxy in shape and colored green. He squinted at it, watching for a moment before the thing popped its head over. "Whoa, what is that?"

" _That_ , cousin, is a Charjabug, the evolved form of Grubbin," Kukui spoke. Ash finally noticed the professor there, standing over in a corner with what looked like the other judge from the Ceremony, Miss Akela, and Kiawe. The latter, at the very least, looked relieved to see him up and about again.

"Your Grubbin evolved? !" Ash cried out. He was excited at seeing the newly evolved member of Clemont's team, so much so that he reached over and petted it on top of its head. He took it surprisingly well. "That's great, Clemont!"

"I didn't really do much, though…" Clemont commented. His gaze was cast downward, like he, too, was contemplating something. Now that Ash thought about it, the whole entire battle here in Heahea seemed to have walloped them all in more ways than one. His own gaze slid over to his Z-Ring, flushing him with a sense of both self-confidence and worry. The vivid dream began to return to him, but he reached out for Serena and calmed down. Suddenly, Kukui's hand was clapping him on his back.

"I'm just glad you're all okay," the professor admitted. "You kids handled yourselves pretty well out there. Especially you, Ash! Woo, the way Nurse Joy was looking at your Greninja, it almost looked like you guys had broken bones for a moment."

"Felt like it," Ash mumbled out, patting at his chest. It didn't sting anymore, and for that, he was grateful.

"But we're used to it," Serena laughed out.

"We've been through more crises than even  _we_  could count. This pales in comparison to the one in Kalos," Clemont said, reaching up to pat Charjabug before he scurried around Clemont's pack again.

"Well, I'll admit that it made things a lot easier," Akela spoke, emerging from her place in the corner. "You handled yourself better than we could expect, and I know I'm grateful for it. I'm sure the citizens of Heahea are, as well."

"As long as they're safe, that's all that matters," Ash noted. Akela nodded, as though she was in agreement with him, but said no more on the subject. Really, it didn't feel like there was much else to say. In that void of words, questions began to come once more into Ash's brain, but he decided upon asking only those which were the most pertinent. "So…why are we all here?"

"To see the findings on the Ultra Space," Clemont informed him. Ash just blinked simultaneously with Pikachu. He had no idea what Clemont was even talking about, something that the inventor appeared to pick up on. "The dimension that seems to rest beyond the portal in the sky."

"The one the creature came from?" Ash asked to confirm.

"You saw it? !" Ash looked over to see both Burnet and the woman named Lusamine leaning in towards him, questioning and insistent. Ash backed up just a little, hardly expecting such an awed reaction from anyone, let alone the two he barely even knew.

"I fought it," he corrected them. Burnet's eyes went wide, like she hadn't quite expected that answer. Lusamine, on the other hand, continued to appear fascinated by it all. She stepped a little closer, away from her companion.

"How was it like?" she asked, her voice going a little low and breathy at the thought of it all. Ash swallowed, recalling the fight that seemed to have brutalized him. Of the tentacles wrapping around his Pokémon; of its increasing strength with every victory; of that feeling of bruising and breaking. Then the power of his Z-Move coursing through him, finally driving it back through the portal. He subconsciously touched the Z-Ring.

"It was strong," was Ash's immediate thought. Pikachu nodded before waving his arms around, like he was trying to explain the odd movements the beast had. "Weird, too. Like it wasn't from this world. It kept disappearing, like it didn't really belong here…and its tentacles…"

"Fascinating," Lusamine spoke. She had a small grin on her face, like she'd made some sort of major breakthrough by listening to Ash and his story. Her eyes were definitely discerning, and her words, measured. "That such a creature would exist out there…There are so many questions begotten by this sole anomaly."

"If it is, indeed, an anomaly," Burnet pointed out, returning to her data. "For all we know, the Ultra Space is inhabited by many of these creatures. We really have no absolutely verifiable data. If we could have communicated with it, that would have been one thing, but the way Ash seems to describe it, there was no chance of that."

"I would think not," Faba sniffed out. Clemont's attentions were riveted on the man, and even Ash found himself watching the blond, balding man carefully. "I mean, would any Pokémon in an unknown environment not react with hostility? I think it was perfectly natural that it would attack first, talk later…if it even wanted to talk at all at this time. Though, had it, we could have learned its method of communication and devised a device to speak with it. Perhaps those tones…"

"Regardless, Mr. Faba, we still don't have enough data to verify anything about the Ultra Space and what lays beyond," Burnet corrected him. "Is it the same world as ours? Are they endangered? What opened the portal? Was it the sounds? For what true purpose did the creature come here? Are they related to Pokémon?"

"All questions that I am sure will be answerable in time," Lusamine headed off. Ash felt his head swirling with all the information that the adults were sending at him. It was beyond confusing, and he'd dealt with enough alternate worlds in his lifetime that he genuinely didn't want to have to hear about any more of them. "Regardless of reasons, we should make sure to receive them whenever and wherever another portal should open."

"Is that really the smartest idea?" Serena asked, sounding concerned. Ash was nodding his head; regardless of how potentially frightened the beast was, it had still attacked haphazardly and without warning. That very aspect scared Ash. It had been so indiscriminate, not even caring who it hurt or destroyed.

"Why not?" Lusamine asked. The question made Serena stop clearly, staring right into Lusamine's crystalline green eyes. "If you found one on the side of the road, would you not take it in? We can't be so prejudiced and judgmental. The Aether Foundation accepts all those who would bring beauty to this world; every side of it, light, darkness, nothingness, fullness for a beautiful world."

"I don't know if I'd call this beauty, ma'am," Akela finally piped up. "Driving the Pokémon into a frenzy, harming people for no reason…Ash may be feeling better, but when Serena brought him in, he looked like a wreck."

"I did?" No one answered the raven-haired trainer, continuing to go about their debate like it didn't even matter. Ash drew back from the adults that were beginning to argue, his friends going with him. Only Rotom seemed to have the gumption to remain nearby, partaking in the data on the computers.

"And how are we to know?" Lusamine asked, stepping closer to the violet-haired woman, standing just a little taller than her. "For all you know, it is a great ally in the fight against the injustice in this world, and those fools in Team Skull."

"But that's the thing, Lusamine! We don't  _know_!" Burnet cried, placing herself between the two women. "The Ultra Space: is it friend or foe? Until now, we had not a single contact from it, making it impossible to tell. Impossible to see. Now, we have some inkling but there are so many unanswered questions."

"I'm not concerned with questions, Professor Burnet," Lusamine spoke, her eyes flashing dangerously, not a shred of curiosity, but a spark of knowing, behind them. She wasn't looking the professor in the eyes, though, more intent to stare at Akela, who was glaring back at her. Ash could feel the ratcheting tension in the room and he slipped his hand into Serena's subconsciously. "I'm concerned with the beautification of our region and our world. Surely, you can see the merit in that?"

"That's…" Burnet spoke. She clearly couldn't figure out the words, but Akela merely scoffed, rolling her eyes and stepping back. Ash just wasn't sure who was in the right about all of this. All he knew was that his chest had hurt horribly and he could only imagine the suffering that Greninja had gone through.

"The Aether Foundation always accepts those without a home, giving them one that suits them best," Lusamine's voice rang across the lab, clear and crisp as she delivered her points. "That is what we were founded on and have continued to deliver on to ensure the peace and security of the Alola region."

"And what if you knock on the door, and what knocks back devours you?" Kukui asked in the silence of the room. It was the first time he'd actually intervened in the conversation, but it all appeared to have shut things down a little. Lusamine rounded on him, eyes sharp and narrow, like a cat's. She spoke nothing for a second, but her words appeared to then sound out in a purr.

"That's a risk we have to take…" she said slyly. Ash swallowed once more, flicking his eyes between the imposing woman and Kukui, wondering just who would bend their position first. Ultimately, it was Lusamine who giggled and drew back. "My apologies. You're absolutely right, Professor Kukui. It was just an adamant fantasy."

"Regardless, Madam President," Faba said, breaking up the tension between them all in a second, "we received far more data than we ever could have hoped for from this excursion. In appropriate time, it could lead to something that would aid our research. Energy sources, design specs, perhaps even a new species of Pokémon!"

"That's possible?" Clemont shouted out his surprise. Faba nodded, but was prevented from answering the inventor by his employer.

"Right you are, Faba," Lusamine spoke once more. "I expected the usual kind of data, but this…I hope our difference of opinion doesn't sully our working relationship, Professor Burnet."

"Of course not," Burnet laughed out, like the very thought was inconceivable. "Science is built on difference of opinion. No reason to not work together to discover the mysteries of the Ultra Space. We have no idea whether it would benefit or doom mankind and Pokémon, but striving for the answers in this case is important."

"I'm glad to hear it." Next to Ash, Clemont was nodding, like he agreed with everything Burnet had said. Ash only assumed he was right since he knew next to nothing about science other than the fact it was amazing. "Then do keep in contact with Faba or Wicke so we can share information whenever it becomes pertinent."

"If I have a major breakthrough, I'll let you know."

"Leaving already?" Clemont asked. His words didn't stop Lusamine from turning away for the door. Ash watched her go, head tilting just slightly to look at Serena before her gaze slid upwards to Miss Akela. The blonde's lips turned into a frown for a fraction of a second, and then she disappeared out the door. With her departure, Faba stepped forward, stroking his goatee with a rather admired look.

"Afraid so, young man," Faba spoke. "After all, my duties at the Foundation cannot take care of themselves, and I must check in with various other employees in the field around Akala."

"Oh…" Clemont said. He actually sounded a little disappointed, which seemed to please Faba greatly. Ash had the distinct feeling that the man liked receiving praise. The scientist stepped forward, ceasing the stroking of his beard to put his hands on Clemont with a small smile.

"Fear not; there will be much time to discuss my inventions at a later date," he told him. Clemont's eyes lit up at that and he began nodding his head; even Ash felt intrigued by the notion, while his girlfriend shook her head. "How about you visit the Aether Paradise? I'll be at the Hano Grand Resort for a single day conference, or something like that, sometime in the next week or two; can't be bothered with the date. If you drop in while I'm there, I'm sure the president wouldn't mind giving you an extended tour, especially in light of this young man having battled the beast."

"I would love that! Ash, let's make sure we're there!" Clemont said, practically breathing steam from his nostrils. He nearly bared down upon Ash, who only fervently nodded his head to make sure that Clemont wouldn't go off on him. "Excellent! I can't wait to see it all!"

"Well, until then. Professors," Faba said with a courteous nod and then another sniffle before he exited from the lab, almost jogging after his president. It was a few seconds before any life returned to the lab from their departure. The first of it was Miss Akela's rather loud snort.

"Foolish woman…" she spat out. As she did so, she folded her arms, striding for the exit from the lab, herself, like she couldn't stand being there any longer. "You don't play with fire. Breaking from the way nature works is just asking for trouble…It always sets nature, itself, out of order and people get hurt."

"Whoa, Akela…" Kukui said, but the woman ignored her classmate, striding out onto the lamplit street. The professor looked over at his wife, who both nodded and shook her head, telling him what he should do. Patting Ash on the shoulder once more, Kukui dashed out after the former Ali'i ka Leilani.

"You'll have to forgive Lusamine," Burnet said, now that they were the only ones left together. "She's a driven woman, no doubt. Though, I suppose the same could be said about myself. Speaking of, Clemont, did you have a chance to put our theory about the tones to the test?"

"N-no, I'm afraid not…" Clemont answered. Ash could hear the disappointment and shame in his voice.

"Ah, that's all right. I was just wondering," Burnet laughed out. She turned back to her data and Ash finally felt it was safe to move forward, enough to see the absolutely giddy expression on her face. "Even without it, this breakthrough is incredible! A world beyond our own! The stabilization of the portals could usher in a new era for Alola and the world. I just need to study it, form hypotheses and conclusions."

"Do you have any?" Kiawe asked, his brusque tone drawing Burnet out of her giddy enthusiasm. She turned around, wearing a rather sheepish smile from it.

"None at all! That's what makes it so exciting!" Burnet spoke. "Why have the portals only appeared in Alola thus far? Are they tied to the celestial heavens and bodies that ancient people used to worship? A shift in the flow of reality? Only through research can we figure this out."

"Well, I'm fascinated," Clemont admitted. "I'd love to know more as you discover more. If you don't mind, that is. I mean, we can't stick around, but…"

"Definitely not," Ash said apologetically to his friend. Now that things seemed to be settling down in Heahea City, he felt ready to go. Looking over at Kiawe, who met his gaze, he could tell that the other boy also wanted him to get moving towards his own trial.

"Hey, that's no problem," Burnet said. She briskly walked over to a desk, one of her assistants moving aside rapidly, in time for her to shuffle through it and pull out a small, square device. She tossed said device to Clemont, who caught it and managed to pull it apart, a screen appearing. "I'll use that to tell you about any breakthroughs, assuming there are any more."

"Excellent! This is so exciting!"

"Rotom is excited as well! Imagine the wealth of information on this mysterious Ultra Space that there is…perhaps even information on Nebby…" Ash hadn't thought of that, but judging by Burnet's fervent nods, he had a very distinct feeling that Burnet knew of Lillie, and had somehow considered it. He really didn't consider that a surprise: Kukui had found Lillie after all.

"If there is any information out there about Nebby, then perhaps the Ultra Space will hold the key, and this very moment has brought us closer to answers than ever before," Burnet said, now smiling genuinely. "Would all of you tell Lillie that? I know she's been looking for information on Nebby for a very long time, but is always so shy about asking for it. Shame I'm not able to see her right now but, work and duty."

"Leave it to us," Serena said, placing her hand over her heart. Clemont practically jumped with his enthusiasm, closing the square and placing it in his pocket as he trembled. Bonnie rolled her eyes and pulled Clemont back down to earth.

"Don't make me into the older sister because you're so excited…" she grumbled out at him. Clemont chuckled nervously, but finally straightened himself professionally before bowing low.

"Thank you for your time, Professor Burnet. I look forward to hearing more," he said solemnly, his over-enthusiastic phase now having passed. Burnet nodded, raising her hand in farewell to the group. By the time Ash had turned towards the door, she had turned into her work, looking completely cut off from everything surrounding her. Now it made sense why she wouldn't be there to see Lillie. Chuckling under his breath, Ash led the others in exiting the lab.

The sound of the surf met their ears, displaying the peaceful evening in Heahea City. Despite the disturbances, there were still people out and about. Some were patching up buildings with the lights on in full force, while others were on the beach, simply enjoying a good time, trying to relax from the frenzy earlier in the day. More importantly, Professor Kukui was outside, his hat off and rubbing the back of his head.

"Is Miss Akela gone?" Serena chose to ask. Her words prompted the notice in Ash's head that the violet-haired woman had vanished. Kukui gave a little jump at her voice, but chose to answer her nonetheless.

"Yeah, she's off already," the professor answered. "Told me to tell all of you that she looked forward to seeing you again, but that was about it." Ash folded his arms; Miss Akela seemed to be a strange one. At times imposing, at others friendly, but this action simply seemed cold. Not that it mattered to Ash, but he did have to wonder just what was on that woman's mind. Serena nodded at the professor's words.

"If she's gone, it means I should get going as well," Kiawe grunted out. Ash had to admit that he'd almost forgotten that the boy was there. "Akela will throw a fit if I don't open my trial soon."

"I think Olivia would as well," Kukui laughed out. Kiawe appeared to grimace at that one; clearly the captain was in slight fear of the island's Kahuna. "But yeah, I'm sure Ash wants to be getting on to your trial."

"That's right," Ash said, grinning at Pikachu. Both trainer and Pokémon looked to one another, their grins almost smirking. It felt like their bond had strengthened, their resolve renewed, and giving them a greater well of strength now that they had mastered Z-Moves. "I'm already getting fired up for our battle."

"So am I," Kiawe admitted. Ash unfolded his arms and reached forward to clasp Kiawe's hand in friendship. "Looking forward to your part as well, Serena."

"Yes. Take care, Kiawe," Serena said, also shaking the boy's hand. Once their hands had disengaged, Kiawe offered a nod to all the others, called an "alola" and then ran down the street. Ash watched him go, just in time to see him scooped up by his Charizard and taking off to the night sky. Bonnie's stomach suddenly rumbled.

"Guess I'm hungry…" the little girl laughed out. Dedenne rubbed his own stomach. Rotom featured a question mark on its screen, like it couldn't figure out an insult to throw at Bonnie. Once more, Ash felt his shoulder clapped by Kukui, the same happening on his other side to Serena.

"Well, let's go get some of that food at the Pokémon Center and eat it like we've got the ability Gluttony," he said as he grinned down at them all.

"Sounds good to me!" Ash agreed, disengaging himself from the professor and running forward. His own stomach was starting to rumble, now that all the heavy stuff felt like it was over. With his own series of grins, he set off, dashing towards the Center, the inviting lights welcoming him. Inside was Lillie, who noticed their group and waved them over. She looked less confused, and Ash couldn't wait to speak with her.

Before he did, though, he sent his pokeballs out into the air with his friends. All together, their group faced out at the ocean while Kukui walked inside and Lillie emerged. She was silent as they saw the waves move in and out. There seemed to be a shared bond between them, one forged once again by the battles they had just taken part in. Ash reached his arm up, his Z-Ring glittering in the light of the moon.

The next phase of their adventure was about to start. He could feel it. Clenching his fist in the air, Ash grinned. The power of Z-Moves was on his wrist now, flowing through him with that purpose; a purpose he felt no creepy dream would break. He was going to fight for everyone, practice them in any battle he could to bring about that goal. With his friends beside him, he breathed in and out once.

"All right! Let's go!"

* * *

"This is just unbelievable!" Diantha's voice echoed off the sides of the movie set she was on. The director was scrambling, as if he was trying to stop her from walking off in a storm. She whipped her head around, snapping a glare at the pudgy little man, who froze in his tracks. Once she was sure he wasn't following after, she walked off the stage and into a hallway. Kathi Lee was on her in seconds.

"News report just came through, Diantha," her manager spoke, handing the tablet and a jacket over to her. The Kalos Champion slipped her jacket onto her shoulders, over the gossamer dress on her figure. Once it was secure, she nabbed the tablet and took a glance at the news report straight from Alola.

POKÉMON RAMPAGE IN HEAHEA CITY, ALOLA

"Just perfect…" Diantha spat, aiming right for her dressing room. "I knew trouble would stir with Ash in Alola, but this…this is just ridiculous. It's like Ancien and Lumiose all over again."

"Well, not quite," Kathi Lee admitted. Diantha scowled at her attempts to appease the entire situation. It irritated her so much that as soon as she reached her dressing room, she slammed the door in her manager's face and pressed in a code on the tablet. In seconds, the signal went out, contacting the one that she would hope had the most information. It took a few seconds to connect, but before long the static disappeared.

"Lionel, please tell me you have something for me," the Kalos Champion spoke. On the screen, the dark-skinned man smirked a little.

"Wow, not even a hello…" he snarked out. Diantha continued scowling, showing that she was clearly not in the mood for any of this. Not that she had expected the peace in Alola to last for long by any means. Lionel cleared his throat, obviously realizing she wasn't in the mood. "Well, I'm sure you've heard about what happened in Heahea City."

"I wouldn't be calling otherwise," Diantha affirmed. "Look, I leave you to do your own thing, but you know…"

"Yeah, I know. Thankfully, I had someone on the ground in Heahea who was able to fill me in. Cynthia was there, too, which is obvious, considering Derek met with her," Lionel spoke. His tone was all business now, not even a single joking vibe within it. Diantha placed herself on her seat; Cynthia being there was a  _very_  good thing, even if she was set to depart from Heahea for the Battle Tree sooner than later. "Anyway, it appears that massive groups of Pokémon went wild from a giant portal that appeared in the sky. Leading experts believe it leads to, possibly, another dimension known as the Ultra Space, but their details are so scant on the matter…all we got was that a beast of some sort appeared from within."

"It's a wonder Cynthia didn't ask for more information," Diantha mused, tapping her chin a little. Lionel cleared his throat again, likely to gain her attention once more.

"I don't think it would have helped. She was busy helping the city clean up."

"I'm not surprised." As much as Cynthia loved ruins and history as much as the next person, Diantha knew she would always choose the protection of people over anything so mundane as answers that could be gotten at any point later.

"What I  _can_  tell you, is that it seems like a lot of things were involved in this mess," Lionel said. "According to our associate on the ground, Ash and his friends were there, along with a group known as the Aether Foundation, who had joined forces into researching this Ultra Space."

"Aether Foundation…" Diantha sighed out. She'd heard of it, of course, the Foundation having made a name for itself over the years as being a conservancy for injured Pokémon. Yet these new facts made her wonder how much they could know…

"Oh, and our little quarry made his appearance." Diantha's eyebrows shot up at mention of that. "It was just for a second, but it was definitely there. I was originally heading to Ula'ula, but this has necessitated a change of plan for me."

"For us all," Diantha confirmed. She certainly hadn't expected Zygarde to show up again so soon, but now that it had, it merely confirmed her suspicions and started moving pieces into place. "Stay on Zygarde, Lionel. I'm sure Aidan can keep on top of things in Ula'ula. I've been told the Team Skull issue is negligible. Looker informed the International Police of that, who took the opportunity to tell us. I guess he tried to contact someone he knew from his earlier days on the force, but all he was told was that Team Skull didn't matter. Which is why I need you on Zygarde."

"All right," was Lionel's quick reply. "I'll keep Derek on the ground in Heahea and see if I can learn more. Contact you when I have the info." Diantha had little time to express her thanks before the connection was ended. That kind of prompt attention didn't bother her, because she was soon dialing an entirely different connection, one that took a little more time to connect. It did, however, connect.

"You've heard the news, then?" Steven asked as soon as his face appeared. Diantha nodded. Two of the five squares on her screen were blank, probably because Alder was lazy and Cynthia was too busy with whatever she was doing in Alola.

"Lionel's filled me in on what happened. Portals…again…" Diantha sighed out, reaching up to rub her temples. "Though…I suppose now we have  _some_  idea of what might happen."

"We do," Lance grunted out. His arms were folded. "Diantha, Steven and I were talking and we came to an agreement." Her eyebrows raised even further now, interested in the agreement her fellow Champions had discussed. "We think it's time to put more boots on the ground."

"ARC has served us well, but there was no stopping this happening," Steven explained. Diantha leaned forward, placing the tablet and propping it up against the mirror as she crossed her fingers. "If we're going to be ready for whatever's about to happen, and  _something_  is about to happen, we need to get as much information as possible before it can."

"What exactly  _are_  you suggesting?" she asked, almost mumbling it under her breath. Lance unfolded his arms before stating what he wanted to.

"I'll go undercover at the Aether Foundation, using Looker as my contact in the International Police," he finally stated. Now, only one of Diantha's eyebrows was quirked. "They're researching this 'Ultra Space', and they were on the ground when the portal and the beast inside it appeared. I want to infiltrate and find out what I can. Should be easy."

"Meanwhile, I want to investigate any ruins there are in Alola, alongside Cynthia, if that's possible," Steven continued on. Diantha continued watching, waiting to see if he'd say any more, but he didn't. She unclasped her hands.

"Understood. I'll hold down the fort for the League then," Diantha agreed. The two were certainly well-equipped to handle whatever would come Alola's way. Steven and Lance nodded. At the very least, having three Champions in a region racing towards the tipping point was a sight better than before. Dalton had finally made his impact upon the League. "Though, a suggestion, Steven."

"Hm?" Diantha smiled softly at him before speaking her mind; it was a suggestion, but most certainly came off as an order.

"Take Gary Oak along," she said. The Hoenn Champion nodded, clearly understanding. "He's been diligently studying these sorts of phenomenon since the battle at Geosenge. I know he and Sawyer have been working with you, but…perhaps have Sawyer help to continue your work here at home."

"Understood."

That was the only word that needed to be said. Closing out the short meeting, Diantha leaned back in her chair. Things really were moving in the world now, just as they'd predicted. She smiled to herself, despite the desperate situation forming. The pieces were finally being set in Alola, ready for a reckoning.

The tipping point was almost upon them.

* * *

Gladion's ankles hurt as he barreled down the pathway atop the charging Tauros, aiming for his destination, the one he'd been called to in the wake of what had happened in Heahea. It was his fault. He shouldn't have pushed the issue.

_Stupid…_ he thought to himself. At the same time, however, he had to wonder if anything would have changed had he actually answered his…friend. Gladion scowled. When did he start considering people as friends? They only hurt. Yet the thought of having not answered Ash, causing the boy to get so furious…It was only a second, but Gladion saw beyond the boy he had beaten in battle. He saw a trainer who would have destroyed him, given a second thought. Ash was someone who would protect others, but Gladion knew he could only truly look out for himself.

That moment that Ash had glared at him, he felt a breaking inside. Like a light string beginning to fray in the middle. Yet, he hated that the thread had been formed in the first place.

_So stupid…_

"You're late," snapped a voice. Gladion pulled on the Tauros' reins, pulling it to a halt. His pokeballs jostled, Null's rattling about particularly. The stippling of the bruise on his ankles itched, but he resisted the urge to scratch them, not wanting to show weakness to the woman in front of him. She would mercilessly mock him, first chance she got.

"I got held up," Gladion spoke, swinging off the Tauros and patting it for it to ride off. He walked towards the woman. "Is the boss in?"

"Ah, hey." A hand suddenly barred his path to the abandoned trailer park in the north of Akala Island. Gladion stopped, scowling, and he looked up to glare at the woman that was blocking his way. "Where's the girl? Thought you said you spotted her in Heahea when you were coming back from Hano."

"She slipped away," Gladion spat, thinking that was a good enough answer. It clearly wasn't, because the woman's hand pushed him back. "Look, I'm not bringing her here. I'll bring Lillie on my own terms, or not at all. She's not yours."

"Idiot," the woman scoffed. She quickly reached over and slapped him upside the head. "Those weren't the terms. You keep trying to protect things that you can't and no one wins in the end. The boss might be stupid, but he's not an idiot."

"I'm aware," Gladion snapped. Then he lifted her arm and walked past toward the main trailer that sat there, abandoned. Lights were on inside, along with some cheers. No doubt the boss would have heard about the events in Heahea City. Glaring at the bright lights in the darkness, amazed at how little time it had taken for Tauros to get here, he stepped up and knocked on the trailer door.

"Yo, what's the secret password?"

"Shut up," Gladion once more spat.

"Ah, let the kid in," the boss' voice called out. It took a second, but Gladion heard the latch click and the door swing open. The guy manning the door turned his head, leering at him in challenge. Gladion ignored him; he knew he was barely welcome here to begin with. "So…ya didn't bring her, huh?"

"Things got away from me," Gladion lied. He couldn't admit that he had been frozen and afterwards couldn't bring himself to go after her; his stupid protective instincts had flared up at such an exchange with his rival. Ash would just have to protect her. He may not have wanted to trust people, but seeing the way he was so willing to do so in the first place, Gladion could believe that. It was better than bringing her to this nest of snakes…or skulls.

"Right…'away from you'?" the boss spoke. He stood, a table of poker chips flying into the air. The other grunts surrounding the table all fled from the boss standing. He walked closer to Gladion, scowling at the boy. "I'm not an idiot, Gladion. Ya let 'er go."

"No, I was-" A stinging sensation rippled across his face from the slap. It hurt, even more than a punch would have. Suddenly, he felt himself being grabbed and held up to the boss' face, the breath that was surprisingly warm and fresh blowing across his eyes.

"You were tryin' to play hero, like that kid, weren't ya?" the boss snarled. Gladion swallowed. Had he? If he had, he hadn't noticed…which only meant that Ash worked on a subconscious level. "Yeah…my boys told me all about that little thing outside Brooklet Hill. Ya really think ya can just get away with that? I wouldn't be surprised if ya let the girl go, despite the orders for you to do it if you ever ran into her on your free time."

"Look, I had some issues. The whole city was in a panic. I lost her, and Ash-" Another slap.

"Yeah…that twerp…thought the name sounded familiar," the man before him said. He finally let go of Gladion, letting him fall to the floor. The blond looked up, glaring nastily, though the man hardly flinched. "That brat's gotten ya real uppity, kid. Thinkin' yer better than ya are…betcha he thinks  _he's_  better than he is."

"It was a mistake, okay! I'll-"

"Yer not doin' anythin', Gladion," the boss said, emitting a low chuckle seconds after. "Yer done. You weren't even one of our bros to begin with. Just a kid looking for shelter from mommy. You should be lucky we took ya in as long as we did. 'Course, if ya work hard enough, I  _might_  let ya back in."

"What?" Gladion asked. He felt conflicted again, but tried to push it down. He had nowhere else to go. "What do you plan to do?"

"Heh, the best thing I know how to," the boss said, cracking his knuckles with an eerie grin. The boys around him began to look excited again. "I'm gettin'  _my_  hands dirty to make sure that kid stops bein' such a positive influence on you.

"Your boy Guzma is gonna take that kid…and turn him into nothing."

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And so, we've reached the end of Love in the Time of Tropics. I can hear you already: what? Why would you end there? Because it's the best place to. I wanted the first story to really end on this bang of Ash mastering Z-Moves after a climactic fight. However, it's strange, because this one…doesn't really end. Unlike the past stories, this one continues on with the very next book and weaves into it, so I set up a lot of things for what is to come in the second book. I hope you all enjoyed it, especially those last two scenes. Hopefully you can see what's building, too, and will enjoy as the full product keeps rolling out!
> 
> So, with everything set to begin again, what awaits our heroes? What is Guzma up to? What is the Ultra Space? Will the League be successful in averting a crisis on a mass scale? These answers will start to come in the very next story: Love in the Time of Trials. 
> 
> Actually, allow me to announce the summary for Love in the Time of Trials! 
> 
> Summary: Ancienverse Sequel Book 2. In the wake of the battle at Heahea City, Ash and the others continue their adventure through Alola, oblivious to the tipping point fast approaching the beautiful region. As numerous forces begin to act, from ARC to legendaries, and even the dastardly Team Skull, the world once more begins to move…with no guarantee that anything will remain when the dust settles.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed the first story in the trilogy and will continue to read on to the second story! Until then, I've enjoyed the journey so far, and must ask you to Review and, as always, for now and forever,
> 
> Dare to Be Silly,
> 
> Epicocity


End file.
